It that time of year again..
A taster of what we can expect Sunday -
The 1st weekend in September usually (well at least recently means one thing) a trip to Croke Park. One of Ireland's great sporting rivalries meet in Croker on Sunday afternoon Kilkenny & Tipperary. For the first time in history, Kilkenny and Tipp will meet in the third successive All-Ireland hurling final, at this one promises to be the best of the three.
Forget your Ireland vs England, United vs Liverpool, Celtic vs Rangers, Ozzie's vs The Kiwis, Red Sox's vs The Yankee's, this is where it's at for a proud Kilkenny man. A game that always brings out the best in Kilkenny, the sight of the old enemy's famous blue and gold jersey is even enough to get the blood boiling in any Kilkenny man's heart.
Kilkenny great Ger Henderson feels "Hurling needs a great final" and as already stated I'm sure Sunday won't disappoint. Kilkenny has one thing on their mind and that's revenge, revenge for last year's mauling by Tipp. Last year's All-Ireland really hurt Kilkenny and sent them back to the drawing board, it put an end to the hoopla surrounding their historic bid for 5 successive All-Ireland titles.
The thing that hurt Kilkenny the most was that Tipp just simply outclassed them on the day, Kilkenny had no answer to Tipp physicality and speed. The ageing legs of the Kilkenny squad never looked so old as last year when Tipp skipped rings around a lot of them.
Tipp were the one's out for revenge last year after the infamous game changing sending off of Benny Dunne (for a rash pull on Tommy Walsh) in the previous 2008 final. That game too seemed to heading Tipp's way up until Dunne's dismissal. The subsequent penalty and quick goal from Martin Comerford killing off Tipp on the day.
Tipperary fans felt slighted by 2008's outcome they felt Kilkenny were lucky and in fairness any Kilkenny fan worth their salt will agree, Kilkenny were MORE than lucky on the day. Last year's powerhouse performance helped to ease a lot of the painful memories from the year before. Kilkenny for the 1st time since 2006 enter an All-Ireland with the somewhat strange tag of underdogs.
A tag I feel Kilkenny will welcome, it's just what Cody and his players want when entering a final without a ball of hype around them. Kilkenny's recent 'closed door' training sessions have only added to this feeling.
Previously Kilkenny's training sessions in the lead up to an All-Ireland were a big draw to the general public. A chance to get a glimpse of Cody's troops supposedly cutting lumps out of each other. How players were willing to descimate each other for a starting place in the final. How Cody would ref every session with the whistle firmly lodged in his pocket, leading to a no rules hell for leather affair. Again unnecessary hype that feed the media, who portrayed the training session's as some sort of U.S. navy seals training camp.
It can be argued that this year's final was inevitable, that the championship was just a dress rehearsal. There is no arguing that we will be seeing the two strongest hurling teams (by a long shot) lining up for the anthem come Sunday afternoon. It's been argued that hurling's on the decline, I believe it couldn't be further from the truth.
League champions and All-Ireland semi-finalists Dublin have added greatly to hurling's profile. Having reached their 1st All-Ireland semi-final since 1948, a youthful Limerick team coming through, Waterford despite the Munster final humiliation against Tipp are still strong, the perpetual riddle that is Galway hurling will (eventually) have to come good some day, the silence from Leeside is deafening, but one thing is for sure Cork hurling won't be in the doldrums for too long.
Needless to say, hurling is a game close to my heart having grew up in Kilkenny and having a father from across the border in Tipperary. I hope like Henderson that Sunday's final will indeed be a classic. That the game will get some much-deserved media coverage. This time last year I watched the game from the hill in the pisses of rain with my heart sinking with ever puck and Tipp roar. This year it looks like I'll be listening to the game over the Internet outside my auntie & uncle's hoodoo dasher in Kununurra Western Australia.
My feelings, however, will be exactly the same as if I were in Croker. You won't find a prouder Kilkenny man in all of Australia when the boys sprint out on HQ's hallowed pitch come Sunday afternoon. Most likely I'll be hoarse come 5 O' clock Irish time Sunday, hopefully celebrating our 33rd AI title.
COME ON YOU SUPER CATS!!
THE HISTORY -
The sides have met 20 times in the senior hurling championship with Tipperary winning 12 times to Kilkenny's 8 wins. There has never been a draw in a senior championship fixture between the 2 teams. On 16 oscassions, these 2 teams have met in All Ireland Senior finals Tipperary have won 10 times to Kilkenny's 6 wins.
The 1st weekend in September usually (well at least recently means one thing) a trip to Croke Park. One of Ireland's great sporting rivalries meet in Croker on Sunday afternoon Kilkenny & Tipperary. For the first time in history, Kilkenny and Tipp will meet in the third successive All-Ireland hurling final, at this one promises to be the best of the three.
Forget your Ireland vs England, United vs Liverpool, Celtic vs Rangers, Ozzie's vs The Kiwis, Red Sox's vs The Yankee's, this is where it's at for a proud Kilkenny man. A game that always brings out the best in Kilkenny, the sight of the old enemy's famous blue and gold jersey is even enough to get the blood boiling in any Kilkenny man's heart.
Kilkenny great Ger Henderson feels "Hurling needs a great final" and as already stated I'm sure Sunday won't disappoint. Kilkenny has one thing on their mind and that's revenge, revenge for last year's mauling by Tipp. Last year's All-Ireland really hurt Kilkenny and sent them back to the drawing board, it put an end to the hoopla surrounding their historic bid for 5 successive All-Ireland titles.
The thing that hurt Kilkenny the most was that Tipp just simply outclassed them on the day, Kilkenny had no answer to Tipp physicality and speed. The ageing legs of the Kilkenny squad never looked so old as last year when Tipp skipped rings around a lot of them.
Tipp were the one's out for revenge last year after the infamous game changing sending off of Benny Dunne (for a rash pull on Tommy Walsh) in the previous 2008 final. That game too seemed to heading Tipp's way up until Dunne's dismissal. The subsequent penalty and quick goal from Martin Comerford killing off Tipp on the day.
Tipperary fans felt slighted by 2008's outcome they felt Kilkenny were lucky and in fairness any Kilkenny fan worth their salt will agree, Kilkenny were MORE than lucky on the day. Last year's powerhouse performance helped to ease a lot of the painful memories from the year before. Kilkenny for the 1st time since 2006 enter an All-Ireland with the somewhat strange tag of underdogs.
A tag I feel Kilkenny will welcome, it's just what Cody and his players want when entering a final without a ball of hype around them. Kilkenny's recent 'closed door' training sessions have only added to this feeling.
Previously Kilkenny's training sessions in the lead up to an All-Ireland were a big draw to the general public. A chance to get a glimpse of Cody's troops supposedly cutting lumps out of each other. How players were willing to descimate each other for a starting place in the final. How Cody would ref every session with the whistle firmly lodged in his pocket, leading to a no rules hell for leather affair. Again unnecessary hype that feed the media, who portrayed the training session's as some sort of U.S. navy seals training camp.
It can be argued that this year's final was inevitable, that the championship was just a dress rehearsal. There is no arguing that we will be seeing the two strongest hurling teams (by a long shot) lining up for the anthem come Sunday afternoon. It's been argued that hurling's on the decline, I believe it couldn't be further from the truth.
League champions and All-Ireland semi-finalists Dublin have added greatly to hurling's profile. Having reached their 1st All-Ireland semi-final since 1948, a youthful Limerick team coming through, Waterford despite the Munster final humiliation against Tipp are still strong, the perpetual riddle that is Galway hurling will (eventually) have to come good some day, the silence from Leeside is deafening, but one thing is for sure Cork hurling won't be in the doldrums for too long.
Needless to say, hurling is a game close to my heart having grew up in Kilkenny and having a father from across the border in Tipperary. I hope like Henderson that Sunday's final will indeed be a classic. That the game will get some much-deserved media coverage. This time last year I watched the game from the hill in the pisses of rain with my heart sinking with ever puck and Tipp roar. This year it looks like I'll be listening to the game over the Internet outside my auntie & uncle's hoodoo dasher in Kununurra Western Australia.
My feelings, however, will be exactly the same as if I were in Croker. You won't find a prouder Kilkenny man in all of Australia when the boys sprint out on HQ's hallowed pitch come Sunday afternoon. Most likely I'll be hoarse come 5 O' clock Irish time Sunday, hopefully celebrating our 33rd AI title.
COME ON YOU SUPER CATS!!
THE HISTORY -
The sides have met 20 times in the senior hurling championship with Tipperary winning 12 times to Kilkenny's 8 wins. There has never been a draw in a senior championship fixture between the 2 teams. On 16 oscassions, these 2 teams have met in All Ireland Senior finals Tipperary have won 10 times to Kilkenny's 6 wins.
Comments
Post a Comment