National hurling League 2012

draw in Thurles - Looks to have been a humdinger - Tg4 wrong place - wrong time

Looks as thought it was a great end to the league with great contests between Offaly/Clare and Tipp and cork and Waterford beating the Dubs to stay up which looks improbable two weeks ago

Division 1B final this weekend between Clare and Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds. To be honest I will be bitterly disappointed if we lose this. Don't think there is a whole lot between the teams in terms of personnel but we are a good deal fitter and sharper than Limerick and have a decent structure and purpose to our play.

If the Sparrow was still manager our first 15 wouldn't beat Offaly in Tullamore the fact that Davy could get the second string playing with 14 men for 60 minutes to battle to the end and grab a victory says an awful lot about how much these lads have come on in the last 6 months ago, morale is very high and you can see the confidence in the players. While we are a good deal fitter than most sides I don't see us doing too much in the championship, this year is geared around 2 things, promotion to Division 1A and beatingb Waterford the third week of June.

The signs of improvement are already there and I can't see Limerick beating us, they struggled to put us away in last years Division 2 final despite being added by some woeful Clare defending and I would say that we are 6 or 7 points a better team than this time last year while Limerick are struggling at 3 and 6 and Seamus Hickey and Declan Hannon are both out.

Conor McGrath to give another masterclass and Clare to win a tight well found contest.

Clare 2-18 Limerick 1-16

Mildly bullish report from Puke as one might expect. Hopefully ye' can do it. The Cats are up next then...wha!!!

Are you visiting the auld sod or just sending home a few pound???

Boxtyeater wrote:Mildly bullish report from Puke as one might expect. Hopefully ye' can do it. The Cats are up next then...wha!!!

Are you visiting the auld sod or just sending home a few pound???

I am stroking Lohan as I type

Limerick are lucky to be in this final. Should be a handy one here for Davy

The Puke wrote:

Boxtyeater wrote:Mildly bullish report from Puke as one might expect. Hopefully ye' can do it. The Cats are up next then...wha!!!

Are you visiting the auld sod or just sending home a few pound???

I am stroking Lohan as I type

Good old Lohan. He's forgotten about that pinemartin thing by now I hope. Travelling to the battle then I take it. Doubtless your stock has soared with the locals..."Young Puke is a mighty man, home to see them hoors put in their place" and all that....

Well done to the Banner......A pulsating final in the Gaelic grounds....Clare 0-21 Limerick 1-16.

Clare reeled back an 8 or 9 point deficit, stuck to the plan and finished stronger.

The Puke will be lashing back the in Clon tonight on the strength of Nicky O'Connell squeezing them into the lead with a '65, 30 seconds into the additional 2 minutes....

Twas an enjoyable game last night, despite there being plenty of booking there wasn't really a dirty stroke in it, just two very committed teams who were working very hard without the ball. Thought Gavin had a decent game as ref, left it flow as much as possible and it added to the spectacle.

Limerick dominated the first twenty minutes and led by 6, Clare couldn't get any ball inside to McGrath or Conlon who had the beating of their men all day - by right Limerick should have been further in front, they wasted a couple of half decent goal chances. Our midfield finally got motoring and Colin Ryan picked off a couple of decent scores to get back to 3 points at half time.

Both teams traded points then Limerick were awarded a penalty, I had little complaints about it being given but those closer to the incident maintain that it wasn't a penalty, Dowling blasted it home and Sean Tobin added a point shortly after to give Limerick an 8 point lead with less than 20 left. Despite this I never for one minute thought we were going to lose it, we just looked a far fitter team and Limerick were always going to tire after the trojan work they had done in the first half tracking Clare runners. The Clare forwards upped their workrate considerably and managed to turnover a couple of balls they had no right to win which led to scores while Enda Barrett was winning everything in the air against Wayne Mac. From this the Clare midfield and half backline came storming into the game - James McInerney and Nickey O'Connelll especially. Clare reeled off 7 points in a row to bring it back to 1 with 5 left.

Both keepers made fine saves with the game in the fire, Nickey Quaid with a great diving effort to turn a John Conlon shot round the post while Kelly made a fine solid stop as well. Nickey O'Connell pointed a 65 in injury time to win it while Conor McGrath won a free and pointed it with the last puck of the game to make it safe. The pick of the Clare team were Domhnall O'Donovan and Enda Barrett while James McInerney, Sean Collins and Nickey O'Connell finished very strongly, Pat Kelly was very solid in goal as well

While it was an enjoyable game both teams still have a lot of improving to do before the championship. You would feel that the return of Hannon and Seamus Hickey will help improve Limerick but Richie McCarthy simply won't do at full back, too small and too slow.

From a Clare point of view it was a great game to win, coming from 8 down and out pointing Limerick 13 points to 3 in the last 18 minutes and the fact that we won the game despite our two key forwards in McGrath and Conlon having relatively quiet games - mainly due to lack of service. There were two excellent cameos from last years minors in Seadna Morey who came on as a blood sub for 5 minutes before H/T and hurled 4 or 5 very intelligent balls and Aaron Cunnigham who came on with 12 to go and worked very hard and took a fine point.

I suppose we will have a good indication as to where we are at in two weeks time when we take on Kilkenny

Good fair analysis Puke. Your man "Syl" on Clare FM isn't one bit biased at all when commentating...

I'd say you have a head like a bale of wrapped silage on you today............

Boxtyeater wrote:Good fair analysis Puke. Your man "Syl" on Clare FM isn't one bit biased at all when commentating...

I'd say you have a head like a bale of wrapped silage on you today............

Not at all, had about 7 pints last night. Despite the win i wasn't in the form for boozing.


While Syl is somewhat biased as you would expect on a local radio station he is a superb man to call a game and makes things sound very exciting

Three big games in Division 1 up for decision this weekend beginning with the Dubs and Galway on Saturday evening. Have only read reports of the initial encounter but it sounds as though if the Dubs can limit Joe Canning's influence on proceedings they will go a long way to getting the better of this Galway side. Should be another tough encounter and will certainly help both teams championship preparations to have games like this with serious consequences for the losers which was reflected by the battle on the pitch last week by all accounts. Tentative nod for the Dubs as I still think Galway are finding their feet and have too many men out of position for my liking.


Tipp and Cork meet on Sunday with both sides missing some of their key personnel, Cork probably need the win more than Tipp but I expect another tight encounter. Padraig Maher has been moved back to full back which is a negative step as he needs to be in the half backline exerting as much influence as possible. With Stapleton, Youngs and O'Mahoney all in the same half backline there is a serious lack of pace there although Cathal Naughton is missing for Cork so they may struggle to exploit it. Cork to edge it


The other semi brings together Clare and Kilkenny, all things being equal I wouldn't give us a hope of winning this but with Richie Hogan out injured and I believe Richie Power is still suspended Kilkenny will be missing a bit of firepower. I do expect Clare to compete well in this game and our fitness alone should ensure that we make a game of it. James McInerney is a loss for his physicality and the fact he is the most comfortable of the half backline to carry ball and break tackles, we are a relatively light team so I wouldn't be surprised to see both Enda Barrett and Fergal Lynch to start in the half forward to contest ball in the air and give us a bit more strength in this area. This is a pressure free game for Clare the aim of the league has been met and little is expected, it should give us a decent benchmark as to where we are at this moment in time and the gap between 1A and 1B. Kilkenny's class will see them through with 6 or 7 to spare I would say

After a few lean years, Clare hurling is on the rise again. Promotion from Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League has already been achieved and the Banner are now getting ready for a glamour Division 1A semi-final showdown with Kilkenny in Thurles - a game their captain Patrick Donnellan is eagerly looking forward to.

It has been an excellent spring for the Clare hurlers and their new manager Davy Fitzgerald who were crowned Allianz Hurling League Division 1B champions two weeks ago following a dramatic comeback win over Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds.

Trailing by 0-9 to 1-14 10 minutes into the second half, the Banner County looked set to lose their second league final to their neighbours in the space of 12 months, but with the outstanding Conor McGrath helping himself to 12 points, they stormed back to register a sensational 0-21 to 1-16 victory. The success not only assured Clare of their place in the top flight next year, but also earned them a crack at All-Ireland champions Kilkenny on Sunday when a Division 1A final spot will be on the line.

Clare captain Patrick Donnellan sees this weekend's game as "a great test" for his young team as well as ideal preparation for their Munster SHC semi-final against Davy Fitzgerald's former Waterford charges in June.

"After winning Division 1B, playing Kilkenny is a bonus," says the O'Callaghan's Mills clubman, who has forged a formidable midfield partnership with Nicky O'Connell this year.

"It's going to be a great test for us and great preparation for the championship. When you're not involved in the latter stages of the league, there can be a lull at this time of the year, but a big game like this keeps you focused and sharp. It will be a new experience for us and will tell us exactly where we are."

Clare and Kilkenny haven't met in the league since 2009 when Kilkenny beat them 3-16 to 1-9 and the Banner were subsequently relegated after failing to win a single game. Later that year, Clare recorded a famous All-Ireland U21 final victory over the Cats when current senior stars like John Conlon, Sean Collins, Colin Ryan, Enda Barrett and Cian Dillon were to the fore.

The Banner also defeated Kilkenny in last year's All-Ireland intermediate decider and pushed them to the pin of their collar in the 2010 All-Ireland minor final when the Cats were the hottest of favourites. But at senior level, recent meetings have been few and far between - they last met in the championship in 2006 when Kilkenny triumphed in the All-Ireland semi-final and Davy Fitzgerald was the Clare goalkeeper.

"Because we haven't played them in a while, there is definitely a novel feel to this game. There is big interest in it in Clare. The supporters are getting behind us again, which is great to see," explains the 27-year-old, who is joined on the county panel by his older brother Brian and another club-mate, Conor Cooney.

Since Fitzgerald returned to manage his native county, Clare's fortunes have improved dramatically. They maintained a 100 per cent record throughout the triumphant Division 1B campaign and also reached the Waterford Crystal Cup final, where they suffered their only defeat of the year so far against Tipperary. So what does Patrick attribute their improvement to?

"It's been a culmination of things really. The younger lads are beginning to come of age, the older lads like myself are probably playing better and then you have the Davy Fitzgerald factor. He is a big character, a big personality in the dressing room and is fierce passionate. He gives it everything he has and is very professional in everything he does. I played under him in Limerick IT and I knew before he got the Clare job just how good he is as manager.

"He won a Munster championship with Waterford and also brought them to an All-Ireland final, so he has a lot of experience for someone who's not long finished playing."

Donnellan continues: "The big difference this year is that we are playing with a lot more consistency. We were up and down in previous years. It's no fluke that we've developed a winning habit because the effort in training has been exceptional. We put in a lot of work in the early part of the year and have reaped the rewards of that. Lads are putting in the extra work because they know we have a lot of catching up to do on the top teams."

With the losers of tomorrow's relegation playoff replay between Dublin and Galway dropping down to Division 1B next year, Patrick believes it would have more difficult than ever to earn promotion if Clare had spent another year in that division.

"We were down there for three years (two were spent in the old Division 2) and it was vital that we got promoted this year. It would be very difficult to win out a division next year that will include Dublin or Galway, and the likes of Limerick and Offaly, who were lucky enough to beat this year.

"The league couldn't have gone any better for us this year. We hit the ground running against Limerick in our first game and went on from there. Limerick were a different proposition in the final - we knew they'd be mad for revenge - and they were the better team for the first 45 minutes or so. But we stuck to our plan and finished the stronger. I think the memories of last year's final loss to them made us all the more determined."

Since making his debut against the then All-Ireland champions Cork in the 2006 Munster SHC semi-final, Patrick has seen the Clare hurlers fall into decline, only to be reawakened from their slumber this year. Currently working as a lecturer in Limerick IT, he is excited about what the future holds and has taken tremendous encouragement from this year's league. Nevertheless, he still feels the Banner have a long way to go before they can be considered major players in the championship once again.

"Even though we've improved this year, we would still be looked upon as the weakest of the five teams in this year's Munster championship," he claims.

"I know we've beaten Limerick a couple of times already this year, but they were very good in the championship last year and are a year ahead of us in terms of development. I know a lot of supporters will be expecting us to beat Waterford in the Munster semi-final, but they're a seasoned and battle-hardened team who will be looking to get back into another Munster final.

"We've had a good league, but the intensity is far higher in the championship and we have to be ready for that. As I said earlier, playing Kilkenny will give us a better idea of where we stand. While it would be great to qualify for another league final, the championship is our main focus at this stage. We've got what we wanted from the league and have the best part of two months to get ready for Waterford, and hopefully we'll be up to the task when that game eventually comes around," he concludes.

Clare have followed Kilkenny's lead in an effort to revisit their hurling glory years, writes Dermot Crowe

A FEW years ago, some Clare hurling people travelled to Kilkenny hoping to learn more about their successful development squad programme. Pat Henderson, a man with fond memories of National League excursions to Clare through the 1970s, led a welcoming party happy to oblige. Tea was served and experiences shared. The Clare delegation left satisfied that nothing had been concealed or deemed off limits.

Not long after Clare defeated Kilkenny in an All-Ireland under 21 final and almost toppled an unbackable Kilkenny side in the minor final in 2010. They hold back-to-back minor titles in Munster which is unprecedented for any county outside of Cork and Tipp. And today they face Kilkenny in Thurles with a senior team that is still raw but showing promise and well stacked with several hurlers off recent successful underage sides.

By the time the Clare delegation met Henderson and others involved in underage hurling in Kilkenny, those Clare teams were already well into their development cycle. Clare had vastly upped their game and started producing competitive sides but there was still plenty of room to bring it on another few levels. Going to Kilkenny was part of that education process.

"The pitfalls were highlighted to us," says Jim McInerney, the former Clare hurler and a member of a committee looking after the county's development squads. "They told us things we would never have thought of. We found them very helpful. Their attitude was that it was for the sake of hurling; as far as they were concerned, it was going to improve hurling in Clare."

He admits he was a bit surprised at their openness. "I thought it was a great attitude; that they were going to help out a county that may some day come along and beat them because of the improvements they had shown us."

McInerney is joined on the committee by other former Clare hurlers, Jamesie O'Connor, Brian Quinn and Seánie McMahon, as well as one of the mainstays of underage hurling development in Clare for many years, Seán O'Halloran. O'Halloran's work is well regarded. He served for over ten years as Bord na nóg chairman during which time Clare's underage performance showed clear improvement. He was also a selector with the team that won the 2009 All-Ireland under 21 final against Kilkenny.

That proved a telling endorsement of the work being done. Earlier in the year, Clare went to Waterford and defeated the hosts to win their first Munster title at under 21 level after a sorry sequence of 12 final defeats. Eight of the Clare team that started against Limerick in the recent Division 1B final played against Kilkenny in the 2009 All-Ireland under 21 final. But for Darach Honan's long-term injury it would almost certainly have been nine.

Clare also gleaned valuable tips from Tipperary's underage model and are always looking for ways to improve and stay up to date. The 2010 Munster minor win was the county's first since 1981. They won the 1997 All-Ireland through the back door, having been beaten by Tipperary in Munster. From 1983 to 2008, every Munster minor title was won by Cork or Tipperary. Before that at least every second minor title was won by one of those counties. But new ground has been broken since then with the last three titles won by Waterford and Clare, twice.

The nature of Clare's hurling has also changed, with more natural ball players, wristy and instinctive and nimble on their feet. Power is still a vital component, as today's opponents illustrate more than any other team hurling team, but the breeziness in the emerging breed of Clare hurler and the arrival of classy forwards has given the county renewed hope of better days ahead.

McInerney managed the Clare minors for one year in the earlier part of the last decade and had a son pass through the development squad system. His own first-hand experiences prompted him to get more involved.

"Seán O'Halloran put in huge work and was trying to recruit coaches and organise pitches by himself. It was too much for one man. Those minor teams are the fruits of his work. We only got involved three years ago and our work won't be judged until 2014 on.

"We tried to identify the weaknesses in Clare hurling and work on those. And I must say the county board would have backed us big time. Bord na nóg would not have had the finance to do it."

He recalls the 2009 Clare minors playing a challenge match against Kilkenny in Ennis and the Clare under 17s struggling to field against Kilkenny the same night. His son was part of the under 17 squad. "I met one of the Kilkenny management and asked him would he be stepping up the next year with the minors and he said, no, he was stuck with the 17s . . . he said if they got eight or ten every year to play minor they we doing a great job. That stuck with me. He was just interested in serving Kilkenny.

"The same evening the Clare under 17s struggled to put out 15 players, some guys didn't show -- it was badly organised anyway. That said, for 50 minutes they were well in it and Kilkenny won out handy in the finish. And I thought, what a shame; we did not have a proper 17 squad there. So I met Seánie McMahon shortly afterwards, at a funeral maybe, and we just got talking. And that is why we decided to row in behind Seán O'Halloran. We just felt at the time Clare hurling was in a bad place in general, the senior team wasn't going well. 'Twas something we could do and contribute to."

McInerney says one weakness they identified -- "all our lifetime, for 30 or 40 years anyway" -- was Clare's performance in the air. "We would have found most work at club level is on your touch and speed whereas in actual fact to improve your overhead hurling everything has to be slowed down. It is all about judgement, all about doing it often enough to get good at it."

They increased the numbers being monitored at all age levels and improved the coaches and made sure there were no headaches like trying to get pitches, such as that experienced when Brian Lohan was a sometimes frustrated minor manager three years ago. All of this industry is feeding optimism of a bright future. Clare's last Munster senior title win was 14 years ago, barely within the memory reach of a current minor.

"I think there are a lot of very good young players in Clare," says McInerney. "We have a good senior panel at the moment, good senior management. It was a big step two weeks ago to get out of Division 1B. There's a lot of good young lads in the next three or four years that will be joining that panel. I think we have had the best minor player (Tony Kelly) over the last couple of years."

O'Halloran, though, spells a note of caution: "It took a while to get it to the stage it is at and I would say it is far from being perfect, we are still a bit behind Kilkenny and maybe Tipp. But everyone with a bit of potential is getting the opportunity to wear a county jersey. That is crucial.

"We met the likes of Pat Henderson and people who had been instrumental in overseeing the structure in Kilkenny. They were very straight up and we appreciated that. They are real hurling people in Kilkenny. That is what they aspire to; they would have no other allegiances. I think that was the big thing. And I could see the people involved were hugely loyal. They stuck by it and that was it. Nobody was in it for the sake of being in it.

"I would say we are 70-80 per cent there. I often came home from Limerick or Thurles a very disappointed man after the performance of our minor team when I was chairman of the (juvenile) board. We have had lean years. I saw a Clare minor team beaten by 20 points by Tipp for two or three years and they were tough times."

O'Halloran has known many of the players lining out against Kilkenny in today's league semi-final since

their early teens. "They are a really good bunch of lads, really dedicated; I'd only have the height of praise for them. There are huge characters in that set-up. They really want to do well."

Much of the drive has come from clubs, especially new forces like Clonlara, Crusheen and Cratloe who have won senior titles in recent years. Seánie McMahon admits the impact of Clare minor and under 21 teams has created a "buzz" of expectation. Today will be a huge part of their learning. "I think it's a perfect game for them. They are in bonus territory, we can approach this in a very free-spirited kind of way. And I would expect a good performance from Clare."

Too many Clonlara players on the Clare team. There wasn't one Clonlara player on the 95/97 teams. Bring in some Sixmilebridge, Clarecastle, St.Joseph's/Doora/Barefield, and Wolfe Tones lads.

Ref was piss poor blowing whistle for Larkin goal and giving saved penalty. Clare going in right direction but so are Cork - Tipp going the other way ....

The rebels are back, got to say what a great display, say what you want about league cork look to be flying and conor lehane looks like a great talent for the coming year.

On another note what has happened to Down hurling? is this the norm because the footballers had a couple of good seasons the hurling has been neglected or has having only three senior clubs finally caught up, either way very sad even from an Antrim perspective to see our once proud rivals relegated to the lowest level i remember them ever playing at, although after talking with the Down secretary i have been told that a hurling review is under way in the county, lets hope it produces something!

Parouisa wrote:Ref was piss poor blowing whistle for Larkin goal and giving saved penalty. Clare going in right direction but so are Cork - Tipp going the other way ....

I would draw comparisons between Clare now and Dublin 2-3 years ago. Except that Clare have that bit more pedigree and winning will have been bred into them.

JBM is after making a couple of sensational fields in the Rebel County. The job of replacing Ben O'Connor has been resolved straight away. Lehane is on his way to the top. No doubt about it. Sweetnam is the best midfielder I've seen since Mickey O'Connell. Willie Egan has been another brilliant find.

The loss of Lar, and Eoin Kelly's ageing body have been bigger blows to Tipperary than anticipated I'd say. Considering what was wrote the week after they won the senior and u21 All-Irelands in 2010, they've probably failed to live up to expectations a small bit. Ryan dosen't have the cuteness about him that Sheedy had either.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

Parouisa wrote:Ref was piss poor blowing whistle for Larkin goal and giving saved penalty. Clare going in right direction but so are Cork - Tipp going the other way ....

I would draw comparisons between Clare now and Dublin 2-3 years ago. Except that Clare have that bit more pedigree and winning will have been bred into them.

JBM is after making a couple of sensational fields in the Rebel County. The job of replacing Ben O'Connor has been resolved straight away. Lehane is on his way to the top. No doubt about it. Sweetnam is the best midfielder I've seen since Mickey O'Connell. Willie Egan has been another brilliant find.

The loss of Lar, and Eoin Kelly's ageing body have been bigger blows to Tipperary than anticipated I'd say. Considering what was wrote the week after they won the senior and u21 All-Irelands in 2010, they've probably failed to live up to expectations a small bit. Ryan dosen't have the cuteness about him that Sheedy had either.

See the famous tipp team of 2010 that ripped everyone apart, they needed extra time to beat one team that year in the first round and only narrowly beat them, guess who Cork. Not a suprise they have good young talent coming through!

I'd still be sceptical enough of Cork's chances all the same, they certainly have improved but that was always bound to happen as Dennis Walsh had lost the dressing room by the end of last year and a decent management team was always going to bring them on. While Lehane looks a fine prospect I still think they are a bit off the required standard in the middle third of the field. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if they won the league final but I don't think there is much between the likes of Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Galway and all four are capable of beating each other on a given day in the championship. While Cork have unearthed some decent options they are still lacking a bit of depth and the day when Pat Cronin or Niall McCarthy doesnt perform in the half forward line they will struggle for a platform then I would have doubts as to whether their half backline at this point in time is consistently good enough to give their forwards the service needed

Tipp certainly are coing back towards those 4 teams, they just seem to have too many lads off form, Eoin Kelly, Brendan Maher, Michael Cahill and Shane McGrath all look far lessor players withour Eamonn O'Shea around while they still haven't replaced Declan Fanning at left half back and have little strnegth in depth especially in the backs.

Ciaran Carey has walked away from the Limerick management team due to poor preparation of the sdie which he wasn't happy with

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Ballinhassig's Martin Coleman starts in goal for Cork for the Allianz HL Division 1 final against Kilkenny on Sunday.
Coleman takes over from the injured Dónal Óg Cusack following an Achilles tendon injury, while Patrick Horgan assumes the captaincy.
Brian Murphy returns to the corner back position at the expense of Conor O'Sullivan having recovered from injury, while Conor Lehane comes back in at wing forward with Jamie Coughlan named on the bench.
Cork XV v Kilkenny in the Allianz HL Division 1 final at Semple Stadium, Sunday, 4pm:
1. Martin Coleman, 2. Shane O'Neill, 3. Stephen McDonnell, 4. Brian Murphy, 5. Seán Óg hAilpín, 6. Eoin Cadogan, 7. William Egan, 8. Lorcán McLoughlin, 9. John Gardiner, 10. Conor Lehane, 11. Pa Cronin, 12. Niall McCarthy, 13. Luke O'Farrell, 14. Paudie O'Sullivan, 15. Patrick Horgan.

I see Boxty is looking to see who the top scorer will be on Sunday .....

Parouisa wrote:I see Boxty is looking to see who the top scorer will be on Sunday .....

I'm expecting Paudie Sull to go mental on the KK full-back line TBH. 3-3 from him is my prediction but will it be the winner

Radical selections to be the order of the day...."Better to live one day as a hero than 1,000 days as a slave" and all that.

Cork.....FFS. Stone fooking useless.

A number of issues..The goalkeeper was appalling, woeful puck-outs and as nervous as a bag of kittens before the drop in a bog-hole.
Full back line....Destroyed. McDonnell clearly the principal culprit. Larkin had him in a complete tizzy all day.
Half-backs...Sean Og is finished, Cadogan (whom I never fancied anyway) might suffice as a corner back, Egan out of his depth.

The rest are barely worth mention. Apart from Cronin at 11. He's an utter mullocker, no finesse, skill or vision.

Kilkenny...Hmmmm. In decline I'd fear. Some woeful wides that on another day could be costly. Delaney unsuited at 3. Tommy looks to have lost a yard or 2 and his tackling has lost a bit of bite. Paddy Hogan shooting on sight. Reid erratic as ever. Surely this John Mulhall fellow must be Cody's bookie or something as he made another cameo appearance today.

Galway roaring favourites for Leinster I'd imagine after this display.