Westmeath determined to scupper Eddie Brennan once again

He’ll be a strong contender to replace Brian Cody when the Kilkenny boss eventually quits, but Eddie Brennan’s management career almost stalled before it began. The current Laois chief was on the line three years ago in Mullingar as Kilkenny U21 manager when they lost to Westmeath for the first time ever in the championship.

It was Brennan’s first championship game in charge of Kilkenny and he later admitted he was ‘naive’ and defeat ‘made me reassess everything’ about management. He ultimately bounced back by leading Kilkenny to the All-Ireland U21 final in 2017 and is now in charge of a Laois side on the cusp of a win that would propel them to the 2020 Leinster championship.