Joe Deane Hurling Column - September 3

A historic day – whatever the result

“The same memories will linger around this final for many years to come regardless of whether it's Kilkenny that are celebrating a fifth consecutive win or Tipperary receiving the adulation for ending what has been an incredible run.”

A great prospect lies in store for hurling followers this weekend with Kilkenny and Tipperary going head-to-head in the game's showpiece clash of the year, and although the same two teams will compete for the Liam MacCarthy, can anyone honestly say they are not enthused by the lure of this encounter?

In fact I wouldn't be going overboard to say that it will be a historic occasion whatever the result.

To support that line of thinking you only need to look back to the 1982 football final and see how it's remembered.

The same memories will linger around this final for many years to come regardless of whether it's Kilkenny that are celebrating a fifth consecutive win or Tipperary receiving the adulation for ending what has been an incredible run.

If there is anyone out there to beat the reigning champions I don't think there can be too many arguments that Tipperary is that team.

The experience of last year's final, their success, if I can call it that, of pushing Kilkenny to the wire, and the speed and youth that runs throughout the team are all factors that should have Kilkenny on edge as they go in search of a win that would well and truly copper-fasten their status as one of the greatest teams to ever play the game.

The greatest team to play the game

“I think they have come on again in the last 12 months and that does not augur well for Tipperary.”

Personally I have never seen better and I certainly haven't played against better. I think they re-focused after losing in 2004 and had a long, hard look at themselves, what they do and how they go about doing it.

I was of the opinion that the 2007 and '08 period was the peak for this team after the beatings they served up in the finals, most notably to what was a good Waterford outfit in '08.

If ever they were going to lose a final it was last year and it didn't happen and I think that speaks volumes for this group of players. I think they have come on again in the last 12 months and that does not augur well for Tipperary.

I would go as far as to say Kilkenny may have been disappointed with themselves and their performance in last year's final.

Tipp had 13 or 14 players playing to their maximum and beyond while of the Kilkenny team only PJ Ryan and Tommy Walsh excelled. The rest didn't play badly but they did not reach the dizzy heights that we have come to expect of them time and time again and yet they still won.

From reading what has come out of the Kilkenny camp in the last week they sound like a team with a point to prove on the back of last year's final which many people still feel that Tipp should have won. When you consider everything they have achieved that is some statement.

How do Tipperary stop the Cats’ inexorable march?

“If you deny them goals you enhance your chances but that's easier said than done.”

So how does Liam Sheedy go about trying to oversee a win for his team?

First and foremost it's imperative that Tipperary stay in the contest for as long as possible.

The Kilkenny v Cork semi-final clash was over after 25 minutes and realistically there was no way back. Similarly the 2007 and '08 finals were over against Limerick and Waterford long before half time.

It's worth nothing Tipp achieved this aim last year without managing to go and finish the job.

Holding Kilkenny goal-less for more than an hour last year greatly helped the Tipp cause and more of the same will be required. If you deny them goals you enhance your chances but that's easier said than done.

When the chances come Kilkenny take them and it's for this reason that they kill off teams so easily and so frequently. Tipp in contrast last year created chances but were unable to take them and that was the
rock on which a brave challenge perished.

Surprising to see Shefflin make such a quick recovery

“At the time when he was walking off I was wondering how bad the injury/tear was because I have seen similar injuries and lads being in terrible discomfort. This wasn't the case with him and it led me to wonder.”

I expect to see Henry Shefflin feature in the final almost certainly from the start. I have to say I am surprised by his recovery, probably more because the Kilkenny camp were not long in coming out writing off the rest of his season.

At the time when he was walking off I was wondering how bad the injury/tear was because I have seen similar injuries and lads being in terrible discomfort. This wasn't the case with him and it led me to wonder.

It has been one of the big side stories of the final and in a way a welcome distraction from a Kilkenny viewpoint.

The importance of consistent management

“I think the continuous evolution of the team has been another crucial dimension to their remarkable run.”

No one could have seen their dominance in 1999 when we beat them and no one should underestimate the importance of the consistency of management in this project.

I think the continuous evolution of the team has been another crucial dimension to their remarkable run.

The management work with players over time. Look at TJ Reid and Richie Power. They become bit players getting snatches of action here and there before being plunged into the team and you are likely to see the same thing
with Richie Hogan.

Contrast this with other successful teams of recent times like Clare in the late 1990s or even the Cork team of recent years which by and large grew old together.

If you compare Kilkenny 2003 to Kilkenny 2010 you will see a considerable turn over of players (likely to have 10 different personnel since 2003 and 4/5 since ‘08 depending on injuries) but those same players tend to be gradually eased into starting berths and the absence of a batch of U21 players in this weekend's line up, compared to Tipp, underlines this.

As for a verdict?

Looking at it in the cold light of day I believe Tipperary possibly played above themselves last year and Kilkenny slightly below.

I don't think Tipp are going any better now than they were 12 months ago while Kilkenny look to me to have
improved. That type of analysis leads me to think that it's advantage to the men in the famed black and amber.

If you look at the games both played against Cork and Galway - by no means an exact science - the gulf in the end results is difficult to ignore.

I believe it will be Kilkenny in the winners' enclosure with something to spare, possibly six points plus.

If it's half as entertaining as last year's final we should be in for another final day out to remember.