Shefflin and Tennyson named in Kilkenny team

Brian Cody’s ‘miracle’ has come to pass. Henry Shefflin, struck down by an anterior cruciate ligament injury just one month ago, has risen again, and starts at centre-forward for Kilkenny in Sunday’s GAA Hurling All-Ireland final.

They’d swear to you on Noreside that the 11-time GAA All Star can walk on water; his status as the Cats’ messiah will be enshrined if he leads Kilkenny to a record-breaking fifth successive All-Ireland title against Tipperary at Croke Park.

They don’t do things by half in Kilkenny, either. Shefflin is joined by another man, John Tennyson, whose hopes of playing in the decider had been written off less than three weeks ago. Tennyson completes another remarkable turnaround to start at centre-back, replacing Brian Hogan, who is ruled out with a broken finger.

It was Cody, speaking two weeks ago, who said both players’ chances of starting was in the ‘lap of the Gods’ and it would take a ‘miracle’ for them to don the tiger stripes on Sunday. They received intensive treatment from renowned Limerick-based physio Ger Hartmann, and there was intense speculation that the pair were ready to return to training, before they did just that in front 8,000 fans in Nowlan Park.

Tennyson’s return at centre-back in place of Hogan is the only change from the side that enjoyed a comfortable semi-final win over Cork a month ago.

In total, there are five changes from the team that lined out in last year’s decider against Tipperary, with John Dalton and Noel Hickey coming into defence, a new midfield partnership of James Fitzpatrick and Michael Fennelly replacing Michael Rice and Derek Lyng, while team captain TJ Reid starts at wing-forward in place of Richie Hogan.

Kilkenny (SH v Tipperary): PJ Ryan; J Dalton, N Hickey, J Tyrrell, T Walsh, J Tennyson, JJ Delaney;
J Fitzpatrick, M Fennelly; TJ Reid (captain), H Shefflin, E Larkin; E Brennan, R Power, A Fogarty.