Tyrrell ready to go with the flow

Looking at how Kilkenny are shaping up right now, it’s in defence where there is most uncertainty concerning championship team personnel.

It hasn’t been until these latter stages of the league that Jackie Tyrrell has had a significant run in the starting line-up and it’s come at centre-back, a position he’s only sampled on rare occasions in a county jersey.

Tyrrell actually played in the role against Sunday’s semi-final opponents Galway in a league game in Nowlan Park back in 2010 when the visitors sneaked a win. Having worn the number six jersey regularly for James Stephens, he knows what it entails. He enjoys his hurling there more than in the corner but isn’t getting too cosy on the 40.

“I don’t know if I am settled there, that is Brian [Cody] and the management team’s call. Brian Hogan has played there, Kieran Joyce has hurled there as well, Lester Ryan has hurled there also. All our defenders would be quite adaptable and able to make that transition.

“So you are never comfortable. I’d love to be playing there but that is not up to me. All I can do is prepare myself as best as possible and put my best foot forward and hopefully I can get selected somewhere on the team.”

Turning 32 in June, Tyrrell knows as long as he is able to do a job in the back-line he will be selected.

“I suppose I would be very much my own man. I just control my controllables, which are getting myself psychologically and physically in the best shape possible. If they pick me, they pick me, if they don’t, there’s not much I can do about it.

“I would be very content with myself and once I can look in the mirror and say I have put my best foot forward I am happy with this.”

The brief of a centre-back, he says, has changed “drastically” in the last five years. “From a holding guy who held the centre, strong under the high ball, to just a moving centre-back. You’re not so much just filling the space.

“You probably have to be adaptable. You could be centre-back… you could be corner-back five minutes later, you could be out midfield, it’s just the inter-changing that goes on. You probably have to be a lot fitter than you were a couple of years ago to cover that ground.”

Tyrrell looks on the game against Galway as another great run-out for the championship as well as an opportunity to lay down a marker.

“There is almost a psychology to it as well, and you don’t want to give the team you’re playing one up because you might play them later on. I suppose it is just pride and you don’t want anyone showing you up and you want to do your best. Your family are in the crowd and you don’t want to let them down.”