The undercats

NINE DAYS before the All-Ireland hurling final, Kilkenny are training. Many of their U21s are absent, so the remaining players are having a game of keep-ball when the sliotar flies in towards JJ Delaney.

As he comes to meet the ball it’s deflected by someone’s hurley; Delaney goes to turn, but his knee gives way underneath him.

“As soon as he turned you could nearly hear something click,” recalls Jackie Tyrrell, the Kilkenny captain. “He went down in agony and we all feared for the worst straight away.”