All-Ireland hurling final....Kilkenny V Tipperary...Thoughts and opinions..

Can Tipperary, long the hurling kingpins, derail what may be the greatest team of all time, certainly of the modern era, in their push for immortality?

Within a whisker last year, leading approaching the final furlong only to be denied, they now must produce ability, resolve and cunning to overturn the Cats who are within touching distance of the Holy Grail.
Or can Kilkenny, although facing some selectorial choices, summon another mighty effort to cement their place in history and in the years ahead, folklore?

In 125 years, the feat of a 5-in-a-row has remained unachievable, although some of us can yet recall the final moments of the '82 football final.
Whatever way it pans out, this Kilkenny team have been a credit to themselves, their clubs, county and the ancient game itself. While the team has not been selected as yet, and were they to win, it looks a certainty that one at least, Eddie Brennan, can join Christy Ring and John Doyle as an 8 time winner of the coveted Celtic Cross on the field of play. Kavanagh and Shefflin may also feature at some stage to add to this amazing achievement.

The bookies are firmly on the side of the Cats but what say ye'???

On the superstition that there's some sort of cosmic barrier to the 5 in a row as opposed to any logical explanation I'm going to back Tipp!

Jonsmith wrote:On the superstition that there's some sort of cosmic barrier to the 5 in a row as opposed to any logical explanation I'm going to back Tipp!

Unlike a Cavan man to throw away money....

From the time the final whistle blew in last year's final there has only been one winner of the 2010 Final, the Cats. They will be awesome on Sunday week - believe me. History is very important in Kilkenny ... immortality is ........... immortality. These lads and Cody will not let that go ....

Tipp have a great chance here if they play their cards right. The myth that Cody and KK don't make the most of the fanfare and propaganda spiced up with the odd bit of favouritism from officialdom that they know is there (whether they ask for it or not) is ripe for the picking.
Sheedy will know that what KK rely on the most of all is the fact that they are one of the greatest sides of all time, blessed with some of the greatest hurlers to ever play the game evidenced by the fact they have won the last four All-Irelands consecutively.
He will also duly note that Tipp were indeed the better team in last years final. How he squares all this into Tipp winning this years joust will either be the making or the breaking of him and Tipperary.
Can Tipp beat Kilkenny?
Of course they can

Tipp have the better forwards than Kilkenny and in Lar Corbett they have the best hurler so far this year. I definately think they can trouble the Kilkenny full back line which lacks pace. If Tipp are to win their backs and midfield will have to up their game. Tipp are definately capable of winning but will have to take their chances this year something they didn't do last year, having said that I still think that if it is a tight match Kilkenny will come out on top.

In all truth Clash KK have not had to be great hurlers so far this year. But when they need to be I reckon they will.

This Kilkenny panel since Cody took over are already the greatest team to ever grace Croke Pk,'00, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Champions.. This one will be the icing on the cake...

clash-of-da-ash wrote:Tipp have the better forwards than Kilkenny and in Lar Corbett they have the best hurler so far this year. I definately think they can trouble the Kilkenny full back line which lacks pace. If Tipp are to win their backs and midfield will have to up their game. Tipp are definately capable of winning but will have to take their chances this year something they didn't do last year, having said that I still think that if it is a tight match Kilkenny will come out on top.

You're getting worse than Mossbags Clash in fairness....I'll allow Reid and Rice (if starting) to be on a par with Tipp's best, but Larkin, Eddie, Power and Taggy are different class to anything Tipp can offer.......cumulatively speaking.

mullins wrote:This Kilkenny panel since Cody took over are already the greatest team to ever grace Croke Pk,'00, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Champions.. This one will be the icing on the cake...

When did Cody take over, hardly 2000. 7 A/I's in 11 years......And for what it's worth D.J.Carey laid the foundation stone for this success...

He took over in 1999 Boxty.

Boxtyeater wrote:

clash-of-da-ash wrote:Tipp have the better forwards than Kilkenny and in Lar Corbett they have the best hurler so far this year. I definately think they can trouble the Kilkenny full back line which lacks pace. If Tipp are to win their backs and midfield will have to up their game. Tipp are definately capable of winning but will have to take their chances this year something they didn't do last year, having said that I still think that if it is a tight match Kilkenny will come out on top.

You're getting worse than Mossbags Clash in fairness....I'll allow Reid and Rice (if starting) to be on a par with Tipp's best, but Larkin, Eddie, Power and Taggy are different class to anything Tipp can offer.......cumulatively speaking.

+1

Jayo Cluxton wrote:He took over in 1999 Boxty.

Fair record then so...fookin' unbelievable really.. To be fair to them, they don't do distractions, Horse Shows, Tall Ships, Young Scientists all that urban scheit...

Boxtyeater wrote:

mullins wrote:This Kilkenny panel since Cody took over are already the greatest team to ever grace Croke Pk,'00, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Champions.. This one will be the icing on the cake...

When did Cody take over, hardly 2000. 7 A/I's in 11 years......And for what it's worth D.J.Carey laid the foundation stone for this success...

All Kilkenny Gaa people laid the foundations 100 years ago .Cody just follows it through.Fennelly was manager pre cody

Will be interesting to see how Cody reacts if his team are behind, will he be going mad on the sideline like in 05.

Very hard game to call....By all accounts Tipp were the better side for 60 minutes last year, and it Kilkenny have been far more impressive this year than they were in last years championship....Big doubts over the fitness of Henry and doubts as to who will play centre back won't have helped their build up.....

There are still question marks about the Tipp backs, they haven't hurled well enough for me this year, granted their half backline was well on top against Waterford but it is easy dominate when their is ball dropping down on top of free men, thought they had a far better balance last year with Maher at three and Curran at four....Stapleton is a fine corner back but would still have reservations over Cahill in the other corner....Their midfield looks to have a far better look to it this year with Brendan Maher there....Bonner has brought plenty of endeavor and energy to the half forward line but is still relatively unproven......Noel McGrath is a class act and is far more suited to the forty where he can get more ball through his hands, the jury is still out in Gearoid Ryan, was surprised that he got MOTM v Galway considering how much ball his man hurled and he was largely on the periphery, can't see him doing much damage on JJ.....Tipp will need Eoin Kelly to give a similar performance to the one he did last september, will this happen???...


Hickey back at three is a big bonus especially as it frees JJ to his natural position, Fennelly and Cha were excellent against Cork but for me it was Michael Rice who was oen of the main reasons that Kilkenny were still in the game last september and he is far more suitd to midfield than half forward....Eddie is struggling for form but will probably keep his place especially if Henry doesn't make it....

Tipp will be absolutely bulling for this, no doubt about it, they will feel they are a better side than last yearand that they left a title behind them last year.....If they are to win they will have to take their goal chances and for me they will have to score at least 2 more goals than Kilkenny, Eamonn O'Shea will know this and I expect them to go for the jugular early, whether they will get them is another question, reckon it will be tight, with kilkenny just about shading another classic, although i will be having a small interest on Tipp at 5/2...

Prediction:*
Kilkenny 1-21
Tipp 2-16




* this prediction will change if Kilkenny start Ryall

What do you have against Ryall?

hurlingguru wrote:What do you have against Ryall?

Nothing only that he is past it, his legs looked gone 18 months ago, he has been a great servant to kilkenny hurling but would be a serious weak link if played at 6....Gifted Tipp a goal early in the league final last year and has bearly got a look in since, he won't have the legs for Mcgrath if he is started centre back.....

Eddie Brennan "under pressure" for a starting berth I'm led to believe......

Tickets ... tickets .... any spare tickets???

Got a free Hill ticket during the week.

Clare for the Minor and Kilkenny for the Senior.

Larry Murphy wrote:Got a free Hill ticket during the week.

Clare for the Minor and Kilkenny for the Senior.

Bit of advice Larry, get in early and position yourself in the very back row.

I pitty anyone who has to watch the game from the front 20 rows of the hill. Not only do they have to look at a reflecttion of the hill, but they stand great danger during the post match scenec.

Yours In Sport,
joseff

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Tickets ... tickets .... any spare tickets???

Interest, interest, any bloody interest or is it a foregone conclusion....

Boxtyeater wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Tickets ... tickets .... any spare tickets???

Interest, interest, any bloody interest or is it a foregone conclusion....

I was contacted (without making any hint or approach) by a contact in North Cork advising that there was little interest in his part of the world in seeing Kilkenny win 5 in a row and even less interest in seeing Tipp stop them- hence he was offering me a brace of tickets courtesy of Fermoy GAA.

In this context I did not drop any hint or suggestion to any of my normal ticket channels.
So here we are with one business day remaining and not a sniff of aformentioned tickets and all moaning is greeted with "If you had of told me last week I could have etc etc.). Still hoping for a late miracle but it will probably involve someone dispacthing a pigeon on the Limerick Junction to Dublin train or having to meet a man with a green umbreall at the mad cow roundabout - anyway hope springs eternal

On a brighter note I am going to shmoke tomorrrow night to see a famous convert to papism. hardly a fitting substitute

Tony Blair is it .......

ps I got two for the stand and the Tipp man I got them for has now secured 2 via CMG and Big Joe himself - so feels he needs to use them. Bloody gonna have to stand around Quinns on Sunday til get €400 for the pair ....