King Henry eyes crown again

ANOTHER YEAR, another final.

A decade ago Henry Shefflin was girding his loins for an All-Ireland decider final, and it’s been a rare September since that he’s been free (two in fact – 2001 and 2005).

At least there’s a novelty in facing Tipperary...

“There’s a great rivalry there,” says Shefflin.

“Obviously for both ourselves and Tipperary, you don’t mind who you are playing once you are in the All-Ireland final. We’ve obviously played a lot in the league so it is not as if we have not played each other.

“But it’s a novel pairing for the final and that extra bit of rivalry makes it all the more special, especially for the fans. The build up will be special, especially along the border, it will be very interesting.”

As will Tipperary’s handling of the big day. Surely the Cats have a big advantage there over Tipp’s youngsters? “I wouldn’t think so. Tipperary grew up like ourselves, playing hurling, and if you are good enough you are young enough, it doesn’t make any difference. We all started when we were young enough.

“These Tipp lads have played in minor and Under-21 All-Irelands, and they have experienced players in the likes of Brendan Cummins and Declan Fanning. There’s a good mixture there and they’ve hurled brilliantly all year.

“I suppose their form as a back unit has improved every day and they didn’t concede much the last day. Obviously they’re hurling very well and growing into a very good unit.”

As Kilkenny stand on the brink of history, has four-in-a-row talk been banned from dressing room?

“No, I don’t think it’s discussed but it’s not banned or anything like that,” says Shefflin.

“It’s for the media more than anything else. We’ve said it the first year, the second year and the third year – it doesn’t make any difference, it’s an All-Ireland final and we’re delighted to be playing in it, first and foremost.

“We’re delighted to get there and whatever happens after, happens after. That’s what happened last year. They said it was a great three-in-a-row. Great, yeah, but before the match we were only focusing on the All-Ireland final.

“That’s all you can do because there’s no point in getting bogged down in something that’s just a headline in a paper because it doesn’t make a difference. It’s not going to make the ball come easier to you.”

Shefflin’s semi-final display against Waterford sparked a fair few headlines, but the Ballyhale man doesn’t necessarily see it as one of his best days in black and amber.

“I’s very hard to gauge because I wouldn’t be a great man for the cliches but every day is different, you know?

“Some days you’ll work very, very hard and the breaks won’t go your way, other days you won’t work as hard and the breaks will come your way.

“That day the ball just seemed to follow me around the place and the boys were throwing out great passes so it was just one of those days where things did go well, the ball seems to come to you.

“But saying that, I’ve had more enjoyable days where it has been rough and tumble and I haven’t scored that much, but I’ve worked hard for the team and created chances, and I think that’s what it’s all about. It’s a team game, I’m one of 30 on the panel and one of 15 on the team and you can only do what you can to help.

“You need to have 14 other lads with you helping you out as well, you know?”

The big forward doesn’t see an issue with appetite on Kilkenny’s part – “It’s about just getting yourself right more than anything else and having the hunger to drive it on; obviously then we have a great manager who instils that drive in us” – and is honest when asked if people have unrealistic expectations of Kilkenny.

“I honestly don’t know. It’s very hard when you’re playing yourself to know if it’s us in decline or other teams are playing better.

“It’s very hard to judge. I don’t think we have set the world alight this year, the proof is in the pudding when you compare ourselves to the way Tipperary have played.

“There has been a big difference because Tipperary have probably destroyed teams, to be fair. I know the scorelines didn’t reflect that because some of the teams came back at them and that’s natural enough too, but Tipp were never going to lose any of those matches.

“Tipp had those matches won, done and dusted, by half-time. We didn’t have any match done and dusted by half-time so to be fair I think Tipp are the team that are doing it this year.

“I suppose a point in case would be the Limerick match, it was just absolutely relentless and they just finished them off. They didn’t give them a sniff of a chance and I suppose that would have been us maybe last year or whatever.”

It would have been Kilkenny in last year’s final, but Shefflin accepts a replica of that performance is almost impossible.

“Ah yeah, it is. We played very well on the day but Waterford didn’t perform well on the day.

“If we had played that match on the Monday, it would have been a totally different game.

“That’s the thing about sport, every day is totally different and obviously you go out and you hope that you’ve prepared and you’re right, that you’re ready to go.

“But every day is different and it’s just that some days it will absolutely click for you and other days it won’t. It worked both ways that day.

“It worked for us and it didn’t work for Waterford. I think we showed this year that was a one-off, it was a freak.”

Have the Cats levelled off, then?

“Obviously you hope not – every day you go out you’re trying to have that level of performance and for that to happen you need to have 17 fellas absolutely on their toes.

“I think a lot of things come into it but to be fair, that’s what you aim for, to get to that level.

“You try your best to do that but again, some days it does work and some days it doesn’t.”