Cats refuse to take Clare for granted

SEMI-FINAL hurdle successfully negotiated, reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary toppled, next obstacle on the Kilkenny rehab agenda, after last year’s disappointing loss of their All-Ireland title, is equally daunting: another major Munster challenge.

Clare, so impressive in the way they dismissed beaten Leinster finalists Wexford, probably even more imposing in the way they ground out a result against Galway in their semi-final, having struggled early on, are now all that stand between Kilkenny and final vindication. Even after their heroics on Sunday, however, none of the Kilkenny players were taking anything for granted just yet.

“Yeah, big one, scary one”, says centre-back Peter Barry. “They’re a big team, strong, keep coming at you in waves. And they have a big feeling for it, 2002; the intensity that was there in that game against Tipperary, Clare play like that all the time, and we’re going to have to match that.”