Cody: ‘There is great rivalry there... we love to beat Tipperary’

Kilkenny boss Brian Cody paid tribute to Tipperary, his side’s All-Ireland final opponents last night, describing the “sheer determination and ambition” they showed in their semi-final win over Wexford as “top drawer”.

Tipperary had John McGrath sent off in the second half of that game and were five points down soon afterwards, but still rallied to beat Wexford in a terrific game.

Speaking yesterday about that game, and Tipperary’s performance in particular, Cody said: “Look, you can talk about Tipperary forever, talk about their skill and it is magnificent, and their scoring potential is super.

“I suppose you go to the last match they played against Wexford, the last 25 minutes of that game, they had 14 players on the field against a team that were playing really, really well at the time. And you were wondering: ‘Can Tipperary can cope with this challenge?’

“And suddenly, they found something that brought them to a whole new level. I am not saying this because we are playing them.

“This is the truth, this is what happened. The character they showed, the resilience they showed, and the sheer determination and ambition they showed was top drawer and they hurled themselves into the game.”

Cody pointed to other setbacks Tipperary endured in an eventful match as evidence for their character.

It wasn’t as if it happened easily for them. They were still rocked by two goals in that period of the game, that would have killed most teams especially when you are down a man.

“And they were rocked by other things, they got goals that were called back for different things. Against all the odds, they just came out and won the game and it was a phenomenal display of guts and courage and everything you would love a team to have.”

The long-serving Kilkenny manager was at that game but confessed he wasn’t working out potential All-Ireland final scenarios from his seat in Croke Park.

“To be honest, I am just sitting back, watching the game. Regardless, it is a smashing place to be, to be in the All-Ireland final from the day before, it used to be the previous week, watching the game.

“It is a lovely and relaxing place to be, to be honest.”

It’s a rivalry that has served up magnificent clashes in the last decade — and longer.

“There is a great rivalry there, we are neighbouring counties. We love to beat Tipperary, would Tipperary would love to beat us? Of course, like they would love to beat everybody.

“There is the sense that it is Kilkenny- Tipp, it is to the supporters and everyone around them.

“If we are in the All-Ireland final, does it matter who we play? Not in the slightest, because you just want to be in it and you just want to win it.

“It is Tipperary and obviously there have been terrific games down the years and that’s what it is.”

Kilkenny surprised many observers by making it to the All-Ireland final, and when asked if he and his panel always believed they’d make it to the decider, Cody was frank: “I wouldn’t say we did, obviously it was the ambition, but at the start of the year when people were speculating about potential All-Ireland finalists, we wouldn’t have been one and that’s fair enough.

“We just continue just to build away and build the team and keep it going.

We probably didn’t have a very successful league campaign or anything like that. But all the time that we’re working towards it and the players were applying themselves in a very honest and genuine way.

“I would always say at the start of the year that I have huge confidence in the panel, and I really believed there was serious talent there, and serious honesty, and here we are.”

Cody confirmed Kilkenny will pick from a more or less full pack for the final, having come through the semi-final unscathed, with only a worry over forward Bill Sheehan to cloud the horizon at this point: “We have a few niggles alright, I think it’s known at this stage that Bill Sheehan picked up a bit of a hamstring injury the other night, how bad it is it’s hard to say but we’re hoping he’ll be available.

“He’s been an important player for us coming on at important times in the last few matches so we’re hoping he will be okay for the game.”