Murphy warms-up for battle with Offaly

PAUL MURPHY’S early season training regime was very different to that normally undertaken by Kilkenny hurlers.

Instead of going through his paces in the cold and damp of Nowlan Park, Murphy sharpened his skills in stifling heat in central Africa while on deployment with the Army in Chad.

“It was different experience but it was hugely enjoyable,” says Murphy. “I was there for four months, including Christmas, and got back in February. Stephen Molumphy from Waterford was there and he used to head up the training we had every Wednesday.