By Cian O'Connell

Valuable lessons were learned by an emerging crop of Kilkenny hurlers in Mullingar a year ago.

A shock Bord Gais Energy Leinster Under 21 Championship loss to Westmeath hurt deeply, but Kilkenny have responded impressively under Eddie Brennan in 2017.

Kilkenny cruised to provincial success and enter Saturday's All Ireland Final against Limerick loaded with confidence.

"It was hard going home, hard to take," Kilkenny captain Lyng recalls about leaving Cusack Park following that defeat.

"We got together and said we have to put it right this year. I suppose Under 21 hurling in Kilkenny hasn't been going well now for the last nine years since we won it so we just wanted to put it right this year and hopefully we can after Saturday.

"It's going to be a tough game. Limerick are very good opposition."

Lyng has recovered following a recent shin injury. "I had a sore shin, but it's getting better now and I should be grand," Lyng says. 

"It was fairly sore now, kind of a stress reaction to the bone. It would have led to a fracture if I kept going then so I just took a bit of time out. 

"It was after the Wexford game, it just came at me, I was playing a club game and it came at me, but it's grand now again. Raring to go."

Lyng acknowledges that Kilkenny were wary about playing Westmeath again following a convincing early win over Dublin.

"Yeah, probably we were," Lyng admits. "More nervous playing the Dublin game this year than anything because all the pressure was on us coming into it.

"We won the Dublin game, we were able to go out and express ourselves. It's not easy going up to someone's back yard. They were very good, very disciplined team, a tough team to break down."