Byrnes: Big half-time pep talk fired Limerick to four-in-a-row glory

Limerick responded in style to a half-time deficit

Limerick’s Mike Casey and Diarmaid Byrnes tackle TJ Reid of Kilkenny

John Kiely and his players tossed the credit back and forth between each other for Limerick's wherewithal to respond - first to Kilkenny's three-point half-time lead, then to the sucker punch of a Paddy Deegan goal in the 42nd minute.

Towering wing-back Diarmaid Byrnes felt the team needed a “big talk” from their management team at half-time to drive them on to a fourth All-Ireland victory in succession.

Manager John Kiely credited his players' ability to respond and adjust "on the hoof" and claimed the sideline had "zero impact" on a magnificent third quarter that saw them rattle 19 points to Kilkenny's five following the Deegan goal. 

Whatever it was, there wasn’t a hint of panic. They have been there too many times before, have too many “reference points”, said corner-forward Peter Casey.

“Kilkenny brought exactly what we expected,” Byrnes said, speaking to RTÉ. “Pure intensity, honesty, we all speak about the Kilkenny teams of the past but they are a replica of that. That’s in their DNA. They work hard, they die in their boots.

“We needed a big talk at half-time to get us going and you saw the response in the second half. Lads were immense.

“We enforced our game plan and what we are trying to do. And we got our scores. That (Deegan) goal was an example of what they can do and you can’t switch off with those boys.” 

Kiely accepted energy levels had not been quite at the level needed in the first period. 

"We’ve been a very strong quarter three team all year and we needed to be today, if there was ever a day. We struggled through the first half. Energy levels, we found it hard to get them up to where they needed to be. And all credit to Kilkenny, they brought a ferocious intensity. We found it very difficult to live with it. They turned us over on a number of occasions and they got 1-3 out of those turnovers.

"We had to regroup at half-time."

"It’s down to the players, totally and utterly. We have zero impact on the sideline. It’s so hard. The lads, to be fair, showed great calmness. They were measured in what they were doing. They just trusted in themselves and in the process. And I know that might sound boring, but it is so important to stick to it, because if you go away from it the whole thing falls away. But they kept chawing away and chawing away at it. And I think they wore them out in the finish.

"This bunch of men are incredible, they are so honest, every single day they go out. You know you are going to get whatever is inside in the tank and that means a huge amount from a management perspective.

"The other part is there is a huge togetherness there and they will die for each other on the pitch, literally, if they can at all. They do it on the training field week in, week out.

And the third thing is, they are good at adjusting on the hoof, themselves. They are able to figure stuff out. They stick to the process, stick to what they are good at."

Limerick made light of missing star defenders Sean Finn and captain Declan Hannon. Kiely said: "It goes back to what we are as a team. We are never dependent on individuals. We don't speak about anything individual in our setup, it’s all about the collective.

"I never worry about fellas dropping out because of injury, because I think it’s great the next fella can step up and take the opportunity. Because he is busting his ass waiting for his chance."

After a quiet first period, Casey finished with five points from play as Limerick’s marksmen turned up the heat.

“It’s just patience. We’ve all been here before. It’s just try and stay patient as much as you can and hopefully they will come our way.

“At half-time we weren’t happy with our puckouts and their puckouts. Kilkenny were that bit hungrier than us on the breaking ball. We addressed that.

“We started the second half well and Paddy Deegan’s goal was a bit of a sucker punch. But we have been here before plenty of times, We had loads of reference points. We were absolutely delighted with the kick out of the boys.

“It’s just the history we have. We’ve all come up, there’s been success underage. We’ve had ups and downs through our careers as well. But we stick together. Our backroom team is absolutely phenomenal. I can’t speak highly enough of them.”