Finan hopeful Cats will have clean bill of health for U21 final

KILKENNY U21 manager Adrian Finan hopes to have a full panel to choose from when he names his side for Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Tipperary tonight.

The Kilkenny manager reported earlier this week that one or two of his players were “under the weather” but aside from Donncha Cody, who damaged ligaments training, it appears that everyone is available for selection.

Brian Cody’s side played their GOAL charity match against James Stephens on Wednesday night but Cha Fitzpatrick, John Tennyson and Richie Power played no part and attended U21 training instead.

With just seven days separating the two deciders, those three players face a difficult task in turning a blind eye to this week’s celebrations and focusing on the task to come in Croke Park.

But Finan is confident they will be 100% ready for the decider.

“We would have had a few subs (involved) as well,” he said. “Those lads don’t achieve what they have achieved already without being level-headed and focused. They were back (Tuesday) night looking forward to Sunday.”

All three played key roles in securing another senior crown for Kilkenny last Sunday, not least Fitzpatrick, who gave an eye-catching performance in midfield where he was jousting with the highly-rated Cork duo of Tom Kenny and Jerry O’Connor.

“We have high hopes for Cha and he has high hopes for himself. Please God, he can stay injury-free and he can go on to achieve a lot of great things but that’s for the years ahead of him,” said Finan.

“He had great underage potential, all the way through from U12 and U14 through his club. He has delivered consistent performances for Kilkenny this year. I don’t know if there is ever a secret, it is probably just hard work.”

Fitzpatrick captained the U21s two years ago when Kilkenny cantered past Tipperary in the final. Tennyson and Power featured prominently as well and that core will provide the sort of experienced backbone their opponents can only envy.

This is the Leinster side’s fourth final appearance on the trot at this grade, though it is memories of last year’s defeat to Galway and not thoughts of their triumph over Tipp that are foremost in their minds.

“We’ve had some positive experiences, some negative ones,” said Finan. “We lost the All-Ireland final last year at U21 level and hopefully that’s something that will stand to us on Sunday. We will try to redress that if we can.”

Win or lose, Kilkenny’s recent record at minor and U21 suggests the conveyor belt of young talent being produced shows no signs of slowing up.

Tipp fans, too, will be scouring the field this weekend looking for potential senior stars, but Finan is keen to point out that the game is not just a means to an end. It is an end in itself.

“These teams have potential but there’s a difference between potential and reality,” he said. “There’s an awful lot of lads who never achieve that potential. All we’re concerned about is trying to win an U21 All-Ireland and if that leads to greater success in the future for these boys, then so be it.

“Obviously you need to have talent as well but we’re blessed in Kilkenny that we have so many people who are prepared to work hard at underage and who love the game so much. Trying to win the All-Ireland is maybe the payback to all the people who put in all that work.”