Canning's View - Hurling Column July 01

What a difference 12 months makes for an inter-county hurler making the transition from being in the thick of things to getting used to once again being a spectator at big games.

Nothing underlined this more than going to O’Connor Park in Tullamore for Galway’s Leinster semi-final meeting with Dublin two weeks ago.

I didn’t organise tickets through Joe beforehand and for that reason had to queue up outside with other spectators meaning I was late for the start of the game.

Hearing the noise from inside the ground while we waited was slightly surreal and some of those waiting alongside me joked about my change in circumstances too!

The whole experience is obviously completely different and takes some getting used to but at this stage I am getting there.

As a player there is a real buzz in the run up to a game and you are totally focussed on the opposition, your own role in the team and the way the team is going to be set up. In essence you are detached from the spectators and some of the fanfare that accompanies the build up.

My new ‘role’ means I am no longer as removed from family now either and am involved in the organisation of lifts and other travel arrangements just like everyone else.

Nevertheless, involved directly or not there has been plenty to digest from this year’s championship to date and doubtless there is sure to be more before the final destination of the Liam MacCarthy Cup is decided upon in September.

At the start of every season burning questions accompany the campaigns to follow and they usually focus on whether the defending champions have the guile or capacity to make a successful defence of the title they won the previous September.

Will they have the hunger, will the old players have the energy to go again and will any prospective new faces get up to speed quickly enough to drive a second successful consecutive campaign?

While all of the issues above remain live with Tipperary, for me and many others, how Kilkenny will bounce back from last year’s set back is every bit as interesting.

What will their reaction be? How will Brian Cody and his management team plan to try and get back on track and overall, will it be possible?

I fully expect them to bounce back with the hunger and experience that they have but whether or not that will be enough to allow them to match a high-flying Tipperary on their day is an issue for another day.

They impressed me against Wexford and in the end won a game that had the appearance of a tricky fixture beforehand, quite comfortably.

The return of Tommy Walsh, Henry Shefflin and Richie Power gives them real leadership – something that was unusually missing in the league final. They will be a completely different outfit on Sunday.

Dublin in contrast have a real battle to try and maintain the standards set to date partly because a number of the key starting players in their exciting early season run are missing.

They will cope in their starting 15 but if the need to make changes arises because of injury or poor form, their back up will not be the same.

Dublin were impressive against Galway and their progress to date has been well documented. Who would have thought as recently as three or four years ago that Dublin would be entering a Leinster final against Kilkenny under the weight of such expectation?

It all stems back to hard graft over a prolonged period and the success enjoyed at Colleges, Minor and U21 levels is very evidently feeding into the senior set up.

Nonetheless I think Dublin’s problems in scoring goals could emerge as a real weakness.

They didn’t score one in the league final. They didn’t score one against Galway – and truth be told never looked like scoring one – and their record of goals in games against Kilkenny is not good.

Traditionally, to beat Kilkenny you need to conjure up two or three goals and it’s something they do themselves with such ease.

This reason amongst others means it’s advantage Kilkenny and although the occasion will hold little fear for Dublin this weekend – especially after beating Kilkenny twice this year and drawing on another occasion – they can expect to come up against a different animal in game number four between the teams.

Of course the Leinster final is not the only show in town this weekend and four other counties will attempt to resurrect their respective seasons in what are trap door encounters where it’s a case of lose and it’s over.

Galway have taken a lot of criticism in recent weeks, some of it justified but most of it not.

While the focus was on Galway’s deficiencies on the day – and they existed – the link with this and a strong showing from Dublin was not made.

In that regard the analysis differed with the league final.

Galway created plenty of chances against Dublin but crucially didn’t take them and I know from talking to Joe that he was at odds with the frees – they just wouldn’t go over.

The management have shaken it up in an attempt to provoke a response from the team and there could hardly be a better fixture to focus minds than a home game against Clare where local rivalry will come to the fore.

Clare impressed against Tipperary in a lot of what they did but will be disappointed with some of their naïve defending and the goals they conceded which sucked the life out of their challenge.

I expect proceedings to be physical – how would it be any other way when both teams know that everything sacrificed since last winter hinges on a performance at Pearse Stadium.

Still, after all is said and done I would expect Galway to have an edge in attack that should see them come through but not before a battle.

The final game sees two teams come to Páirc na nGael with contrasting emotions.

Wexford performed heroics to retain their top flight league status earlier in the year with huge performances against Cork and Tipperary but the expected follow over for the meeting against Kilkenny did not materialise.

In the end they were beaten convincingly and whatever way you dress it up, that’s a disappointment.

Limerick on the other hand can justifiably come to this game with a pep in their step pushing as they did a well regarded Waterford right to the wire.

Their star appears to be on the rise with a number of promising youngsters being blooded by Donal O’Grady and I don’t expect that process to be derailed this weekend.

The hurling championship will hot up from here on out.

It will be interesting to note just who remains standing come close of play Sunday evening and who it is that’s headed for the qualifiers after the Leinster final at Croke Park.