On Sunday May 5 Kilkenny and Tipp met in a League final that many felt was an All-Ireland preview. A lot has changed in eight weeks…
The scene was Nowlan Park, the match was eagerly anticipated and both sides were clearly desperate to win. This year’s Allianz Hurling League final between Tipperary and Kilkenny at Nowlan Park lived up to the billing and most observers left feeling they had probably seen the two best teams in the country and they fully expected to see them in action again later in the year, more than likely on September 8, All Ireland final day.
Incredibly, since then Limerick saw off Tipp, dumping them into the qualifiers and in an even more bizarre turn of events Kilkenny were sent packing by Dublin.
That set up a rematch of the League final, at the same venue, with the loser’s summer finished. So, what can we learn from this match?
Well Kilkenny could really do with Michael Fennelly, as he scores 2-3 in this game and was the reason that the Cats won the day.
Lar Corbett’s luckless time in these matches happened again as he saw red, with JJ Delaney, and Eamon O’Shea has to be hoping his luck turns on Saturday in Kilkenny.
Tipp were disjointed all game, forced into making any number of changes and switches in their forward line and Patrick Maher had a quiet game. Surely they will be more settled and in better shape this time. We can’t wait to find out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUxfKh5TXxk
