Moore: We want to make history

It’s not the same as New Zealand where every single All Black who pulls on that famous shirt will do everything in his power to avoid becoming a member of the first side to lose to Ireland.

Nevertheless it’s a truth and a hard truth that no Leinster player, and no Kilkenny player especially, will want to be a member of the first team to lose to Galway in a Leinster final and watch a team from west of the Shannon take the Bob O’Keeffe Cup with them.

Galway know that and captain Fergal Moore is anticipating a hell of a battle in Croke Park tomorrow.

“Everyone welcomed us into Leinster with open arms but I don’t know if anyone wants to see us winning it!” he laughed.

“But look, we’re delighted with the opportunity. Here we are now, the start of July and already we have two championship games under our belts where before we might be facing up to a Cork or someone like that in the All-Ireland qualifiers with no idea of where we stood.

“We’re delighted to be in Leinster first of all, even more delighted to be in another final. No Galway team has ever won it, that was our goal at the start of the year, it remains our goal.”

Speaking of goals, it’s no secret that this is how Kilkenny win the games that most matter. They score goals early, and against a Galway team that leaked four in their quarter-final win over Westmeath and a further three against Offaly in the semi-final, it is kind of ominous isn’t it?

“We’re aware of that, but we were well ahead in both those games before we began to leak goals. I think fellas switched off, it was mostly mental lapses.

“We’ve analysed all that since. We’ve ironed out the causes... clean slate for Sunday. Against Kilkenny you must mind the ball, that’s all. Hang in there for the first 20 minutes and you have a chance. It’s no secret that Kilkenny go for the kill early but knowing that doesn’t make it any easier!

Working in Galway’s favour is the fact they have been running up big scores – 5-19 against Westmeath and 5-23 against Offaly. Encouraging also, even with Joe Canning back in the line-up, there was a great spread of scorers against Offaly. It also allows Joe Canning to do what he does as well as any player alive, turn playmaker.

“Joe is a bit like Brian O’Driscoll in the rugby,” reckoned Fergal.

“Even when he’s not scoring himself he’s setting up scores for others. He draws a lot of attention to himself which frees up space for others. He does an awful lot of work off the ball, unseen work, a major factor in this forward line even when he’s not scoring.

“He’s gifted with that kind of special vision, sees opportunities before anyone else, and he’s playing now with younger lads like Niall and David Burke, Conor Cooney. They seem to be on the same wavelength as himself. When you have a forward line like that, guys making the runs and guys seeing the runs, parting with the ball, you can run up a good score very quickly.”

However, it’s not all plain sailing up front and he knows they could be doing even better.

“Offensively the forwards are doing very well but defensively they still have a lot do, though they’re improving with every game. But they are dangerous. If we can keep the score down at our end we’re confident they can score enough to win any game for us.

It’s a new-look Galway team under a new-look management, Anthony Cunningham placing huge trust in the members of the U21 side he managed to All-Ireland success last year. Justified trust too, says Fergal.

“The young lads are coming on along nicely, gelling in well with the older lads. We’re starting to understand each other’s play a lot better, building for the future game by game.

“We have almost a completely new panel, seven or eight of those who started against Waterford last year gone altogether so that’ll tell you the kind of cleanout there was.

“I think it was nine lads made their championship debut against Westmeath, away from home, and when you factor that in it wasn’t a bad performance.Now it’s a day in Croke Park, the Big House, a Leinster final there for the winning.

“That’s where everyone wants to play, as a youngster that’s the dream. This is what you’re aiming it when you start the slog back in January. It’s the summer months you’re dreaming of, big games in Croke Park. We’re delighted to be there, to be part of this occasion. We want to perform but even more, we want to win a first Leinster title for Galway.”