Can Tipp stop the Kilkenny drive for five?
All expressed confidence the feat would be achieved. Now it’s the chance of their equivalents in Tipperary to answer the opposite question – can Tipp stop them? Yes, but with reservations, say three of those who were there when Tipp last beat Kilkenny in an All-Ireland final, 1991 – Declan Carr, Nicky English and Michael Cleary.
Carr has no doubt about the task facing the Premier. He said: “This Kilkenny team is the best I’ve seen. The biggest challenge for Tipperary is surviving the first quarter; that’s when Kilkenny go hunting; they did against Limerick (07), against Waterford (08) and again this year against Cork. If Tipp can withstand that surge, if it’s level at half-time, Tipperary will win.”