Hogan and Rice savour moment

BRIAN Cody has long espoused the critical importance of Kilkenny’s strong squad maintaining their glorious run of success.

After each of their recent All-Ireland triumphs, Cody has been gushing in his praise of every member of their squad, yet for those in the background, the satisfaction on these big September days can surely not be as great as it is for those immersed in the action on the pitch.

Yesterday the opportunity was afforded to two players to step forward from the shadows and share the spotlight. Carrickshock midfielder Michael Rice and Danesfort attacker Richie Hogan have served their apprenticeship on the Kilkenny squad over the past few seasons. Their talent and skill is undoubted, they shone throughout their underage days, accumulating a slew of honours and whenever pitched into action for the senior side, have illustrated their ability to figure at this level.