Preview: Allianz HL D1 Final - Kilkenny v Clare
Pictured is Clare senior hurler, David Reidy and Kilkenny senior hurler, Adrian Mullen, who have teamed up with Allianz today to look ahead to the upcoming Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Final this weekend. This year, during their 32nd year sponsoring the competition, Allianz has been campaigning for children and young people to #StopTheDrop and remain involved in sport when transitioning from primary to secondary school. For more information visit https://www.allianz.ie/stopthedrop
Saturday, April 6
Allianz HL Division 1 final
Kilkenny v Clare, Semple Stadium, 7.15pm (TG4)
It feels like there’s more on the line in Saturday’s Allianz Hurling League Final than just the silverware that will be given to whichever team comes out on top.
A victory would be the perfect pre-championship boost and frank the winner’s status as the most serious pretender to Limerick’s throne.
That counts for something, because only a team with an iron-clad self-belief will be capable of stopping the drive for five.
Lose this game a couple of weeks out from the championship, and self-doubt might creep in.
When Clare defeated Kilkenny in a very hard-fought match in Round 4 of the League on March 10 you could see how much it meant to their players.
Losing to the Cats in the last two All-Ireland semi-finals must have been hard to stomach, and they were highly motivated to make amends.
They finally won the battle zone in the middle third where they had been dominated by Kilkenny in the 2022 and edged again last year, and that showdown will be key to the outcome of this game too.
Clare’s David Fitzgerald has been the best player in the country so far this year and along with Cathal Malone and the very promising Darragh Lohan gives the Banner great presence in the middle of the field.
Kilkenny have named Cian Kenny and Jordan Molloy in their engine-room for this match and it’ll be interesting to see how the youthful duo fare. If they can at least hold their own, that will be a huge boost for Kilkenny going into the championship.
When Kilkenny have hurt Clare in the past they’ve done so by getting in behind their half-back line and running directly at their full-back line.
Expect John Conlon to sit deep to try to prevent this from happening, but in that scenario Kilkenny might put the in-form Adrian Mullen at centre-forward and give him a roving roll that could see him exploit the space between Conlon and his midfielders.
Another key match-up will be Clare corner-back Adam Hogan on Kilkenny corner-forward Eoin Cody. If either comes out decisively on top, it could be a tipping point.
Much like the game in March, Saturday’s Final is likely to be a tight battle that could come down to which team gets a bigger impact on their bench.
With Shane O’Donnell and David McInerney primed to make their first appearances of the League for Clare and other proven impact players like Aron Shanagher, Seadna Morey, and Shane Meehan to call on, the Banner County might have the stronger hand here.
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Shane Murphy, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; David Blanchfield, Paddy Deegan, Richie Reid; Cian Kenny, Jordan Molloy; Adrian Mullen, John Donnelly, Billy Ryan; Luke Hogan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody. Subs: Aidan Tallis, Conor Delaney, Padraic Moylan, Darragh Corcoran, Conor Fogarty, Kevin Blanchfield, Timmy Clifford, Billy Drennan, Owen Wall, Martin Keoghan, Liam Blanchfield.
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, Cian Galvin; David Fitzgerald, Darragh Lohan; Cathal Malone, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Ian Galvin, David Reidy. Subs: Cian Broderick, Rory Hayes, Paul Flanagan, Seadna Morey, David McInerney, Paddy Donnellan, Shane O’Donnell, Aron Shanagher, Shane Meehan, Patrick Crotty, Gearoid Sheedy.
