Power-packed Dubs set to hasten Cats’ demise

THE big one, and really, for a provincial championship, it could hardly be bigger. Reigning league champions against reigning Leinster champions but it goes far beyond that.

Questions have been asked about Kilkenny this year, serious questions. Has the all-conquering side of the last five years finally come to an end? Have great players like Noel Hickey, Michael Kavanagh, JJ Delaney, Eddie Brennan, Jackie Tyrell, all gone past their peak? Can Henry really recover fully from a second cruciate operation? Legitimate questions too, so much hard mileage on the clock for so many of those lads.

And yet, Kilkenny reached a league final this year; and yet, even without several of the marquee names above, and with Eoin Larkin red-carded as early as the 26th minute, they put it up to Dublin for over 60 minutes, were still within six points of them at that stage, before conceding heavily in the final minutes and losing by 12. Yet they blew Wexford away in the semi-final, a lot of that old guard coming back into shape, bolstered by youngsters TJ Reid, Richie and Paddy Hogan, Paul Murphy. Rumours of their demise then, very premature.

Questions have also been asked of Dublin. How will they react under real pressure? Can they put a series of big games together? Can they hold their focus against all opposition – good and bad — for a full 70 minutes? Well, having reached the league final the answer to the middle question is yes. Having won it, even against a weakened Kilkenny, the final question is also out of the way. Against Galway, however, in the Leinster championship semi-final, came the big question, the first question, and when the pressure came on in the final 15 minutes, when they were a man down, only four points up, and into the wind, they didn’t just hold out, they did so with some authority.

And even still, there are those out there who have even more questions about Dublin, the same questions in fact, who still don’t believe that the boys in blue are true blue. Well, not this scribe. There is such quality in this Dublin team now, from keeper Gary Maguire, through a very tight and tenacious full-back line, a hurling half-back trio (and how much stronger they’ll be if Joey Boland makes it back), a choice of several quality midfielders, an attack that carries threat from a variety of areas, and depth on the bench. I like this team, I like their attitude, I like their work-rate.

Honesty is what the Kilkenny manager most demands from his players, and gets, on a constant basis; honesty is what Dublin manager Anthony Daly is getting from these lads. This is a game that could rock the new Croke Park to its foundations.

Verdict: Dublin