By John Harrington

As a Kilkenny player Derek Lyng won six All-Ireland senior titles in 10 years, so he appreciates more than most that going seven seasons without winning the Liam MacCarthy Cup counts as an extremely lean spell for the Cats.

Hunger is the best sauce, and if they were to end the ‘famine’ next weekend against Limerick it would mean all the more because it’s been so relatively long since they brought the cup back to Noreside.

"It would mean a huge amount, obviously,” says Lyng. “It’s been a while. We’ve been competing at the top but we haven’t got over the line. The task ahead is a huge one. That can sometimes spike the interest as well.

“It’s not something we think too much about. When you’re in this, you’re focusing on training, focusing on how you can improve the next day – and that’s really it. It’s about enjoying it as well.

“When the day comes then it’s about bringing all of that into play in a match-day situation. Afterwards then, it’s time to reflect on how much we enjoy it. Hopefully, we’ll be on the right side of it.”

When Brian Cody stepped down as Kilkenny manager after a 24 year reign that saw him win 11 All-Ireland titles he was always going to be a tough act to follow.

Much like when Alex Ferguson retired as Manchester United manager, the job was viewed by some as a poisoned chalice for whoever succeeded Cody, but Lyng never saw it like that.

“There’s a fair few managers after taking over since Alex Ferguson as well!” he says.

“There’s never a good time. The opportunity was there. If you’re looking at what somebody else has achieved, I mean, you’ll run a mile away from it. That wasn’t my concern at all. It genuinely was about making sure standards didn’t drop.

“You bring your own slant on things as a new man in a role – that was it.

"My whole objective was to maintain those standards, even raise them higher. Build a really strong environment in there.

“Obviously we brought through a number of younger players as well, albeit we haven’t seen a huge amount of them in the championship. They’re getting exposed to senior hurling, they’re part of the set-up. As well as Sunday, it’s about building for the future as well. That was my mind-set.

“I suppose this time last year not many people expected Kilkenny to be in an All-Ireland. Probably similar enough this year, if truth be told.

“Overall, I think we’re in a healthy place. It’s always about looking to continually improve. It will be no different in two weeks’ time. Or in a number of months when we go back training again.”