Cats’ experience likely to make the difference

THERE are still a lot of questions to be answered in relation to the ultimate destination of the Liam McCarthy Cup.

Some of them will be addressed in Croke Park tomorrow.

The consensus may be that it will again come down to a contest between Cork and Kilkenny, but while the holders have reached the semi-final principally on the strength of their defence, Brian Cody's team looks extremely vulnerable going into an All-Ireland quarter-final against Limerick.

It all stems from the 'hole' created in the full-back line by the enforced absence of Noel Hickey. Even before that became known, team captain Peter Barry's fitness was causing concern due to a groin injury received in the Leinster final. Add in the other injury problems they encountered and it reveals a team unsure about its ability to survive.

Of course, that will depend to a significant agree but not entirely on how Limerick perform, in what is the first championship clash between the counties since 1974.

Clearly, stepping up to this level represents a serious challenge for a team which has made significant progress since last year but still looks suspect in attack.

That '74 final was interesting for the reason not just that Kilkenny won (3-19 to 1-13), but that they reversed the result of the final the year before.

Remarkably, the only game of real significance that the counties met in since, was the League final of 1983 an occasion noteworthy for the fact that it gave Kilkenny back-to-back titles in the competition for the first time.

Noel Hickey has been one of the most consistent performers at full-back over the last five years, although he was outplayed by Brian Corcoran in last year's final, after having been one of their stars in the 2003 decider. There's no doubt that he is a major loss to the team, all the more so since Jackie Tyrrell has only been settling in at right corner-back and the more experienced James Ryall for all the good defensive play that he has given has shown a certain susceptibility to fast, crafty forwards.

Kilkenny's Leinster final form was impressive up to a point, but newcomer Bryan Barry didn't perform adequately at midfield and some of the big-name players weren't at their best. However, despite their defensive problems, they remain potentially much stronger than Limerick and their experience of Croke Park gives them an added advantage.

On paper, Limerick appear more settled than they have been all season, being unlucky to lose to Tipperary in Munster in a replay because of faulty finishing and going under by the same margin to Galway in their only competitive outing in the Round Robin series.

Other than possibly being affected by the occasion, they won't be under any real pressure and it will be a surprise if they don't give a very good account of themselves.

However, for all their apparent vulnerability, I can't see Kilkenny losing.