The key battlegrounds in the All-Ireland Hurling final

These mini duals will go a long way to deciding which team is going to be victorious.

Dan Morrissey of Limerick in action against Eoin Cody of Kilkenny during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Kilkenny and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Can Kilkenny contain Limerick’s half-forward line?

A new management and some changes in personnel are not enough cause to completely discard last year’s All-Ireland final. Limerick’s half-forward line did the most damage. They scored 1-13 between them. In total, they had 48 combined possessions.

Much of that stems from the restart. Gearóid Hegarty and Kyle Hayes were targeted 27 times by Nickie Quaid. Derek Lyng will be aware that towering David Blanchfield is a key cog in their puckout defence. If he has truly overcome his injury concern and starts on Sunday, that is a major advantage. Kilkenny will likely change tack and stay zonal. Expect Quaid to target Richie Reid in the six slot. Cian Lynch has been named at midfield but as Will O’Donoghue proved in the semi-final, that counts for little. A Hegarty-Lynch-Morrissey axis would be a formidable challenge for the Cats.

Who will tackle Eoin Cody?

His 4-21 is a remarkable championship haul and Kilkenny’s captain sent out a statement both with his semi-final showing and post-match interview.

“What a great game to come out on top. All-Ireland semi-finals are for winning and we’ve done that. Now it is all focus on two weeks’ time. We are absolutely thrilled. We are where we wanted to be at the start of the year. And look, we won’t go down without a fight.” 

Not only is Eoin Cody in sensational form, but Limerick’s best matchup in Seán Finn is also absent. Mike Casey is expected to take on the Ballyhale man instead. In these pages earlier this week Waterford’s Dan Shanahan suggested John Kiely may look elsewhere with Dan Morrissey or Barry Nash possibly drafted in if necessary.

One more hurdle for the hurler of the year 

Aaron Gillane is currently the leading contender for the individual honour. He needs one more showstopping performance and it is therefore fitting he will face the best fullback on form on the biggest stage. Huw Lawlor is another All-Star in waiting and the Kilkenny fullback needs to limit Gillane’s influence, particularly in the air.

The reality with Cody and Gillane is that it is as much about what happens around them as it is the individual dual. If Limerick deconstruct Kilkenny’s half-back line, it creates space for the inside line to do damage. Séamus Flanagan has created two of Gillane’s three goals this year. Lyng needs Tommy Walsh to step up there as well.

At the other end, can Will O’Donoghue cover back just like Declan Hannon? They have a proven track record across the five finals in six years. Despite setbacks and injuries, Limerick continue to find a way.