Where will the game be won and lost?
Two of the biggest teams in hurling face off in the All-Ireland Hurling final on Sunday in Croke Park with Kilkenny hoping to add to their 34 All-Ireland titles while Tipperary will be hoping to win the final for the first time since 2010.
The clash is keenly anticipated throughout the country and it is extraordinarily difficult to pick a winner from the two sides. But that is the beauty of the clash and there is nothing like a bit of Tipperary/Kilkenny rivalry to get the pulse going a little quicker.
Here are three key battles that we are really looking forward to…
Seamus Callanan/JJ Delaney
The standout forward in the country will take on one of the finest backs that the country has ever seen when the pair take-up their positions on Sunday. Callanan has been in lethal form for the Premier County this summer contributing a total of 59 points, while JJ has been his customary solid and brilliant self.
Callanan will have a score to settle with the Kilkenny backs after suffering a couple of tough All-Irelands at their hands in 2009 and 2011. He endured some rough treatment and will most likely experience some similar tactics at the weekend. But he has grown as a player since his last encounters with the Cats and he will be prepared for the physicality that will be aimed at him on Sunday.
JJ Delaney and Seamus Callanan will renew acquaintances this Sunday ©INPHO/James Crombie
JJ, as I said earlier, is one of the best defenders to have graced the game and he has produced quality performances consistently at the top level throughout his career. A superb man marker, he now lacks the pace to compete for first up primary possession in a straight sprint, but this was never the type of game he played. He is equally confident in taking the ball from opponents once they have gathered possession, and he is probably the best in the country at it.
Who will win this battle? Personally the JJ of two/three years ago would have a definite advantage but the playing field is more even now. Callanan is the marquee forward for Tipperary and when he performs, the rest of the team follow suit. This is one of the most important match-ups of the weekend, and the victor will go a long way towards helping their team raise Liam McCarthy come 5 o’clock on Sunday.
Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher/Brian Hogan
Maher is a key cog in the Tipperary forward line contributing extraordinary work rate and ball-winning skills but also supplying some vital scores from play this year. Hogan reinstated himself in the Kilkenny team this season following a commanding performance against Galway in the Leinster championship.
As I said in previous pieces, Maher is a nightmare for backs because he will hunt you down and you will never get an easy clearance from defence while he is hounding you. He is deceptively strong in the air (just look at his catch below) and his mobility often causes problems for centre backs. Expect direct running from the Lorrah man on Sunday but he will also drift to try drag Hogan away from his comfort zone at six.
Video via MarcaisOCallanain.
Brian Hogan anchored the Kilkenny team at the back during their quest for five in a row and established himself as one of the leading centre backs in the country. A loss of form from the tail-end of last year and the early part of this season meant he has had to fight to earn his spot at number six once again. But, with assured performances against Galway, Dublin and Limerick he has cemented his place again. He needs one more big performance this season if Kilkenny are to shut out this dangerous Tipperary forward line.
I think Maher may just have the upper hand in this tussle, his pace may be too much for Hogan. But I believe that Brian Cody knows this shortcoming in Hogan’s game and has surrounded him with quick, young athletic players in the shape of Cillian Buckley, Joey Holden and Conor Fogarty in an effort to protect the veteran. The tactic has worked so far, but will it work on Sunday? Time will tell…
TJ Reid/Kieran Bergin
TJ Reid was flying in the early part of the summer with strong performances against Galway and Dublin but he was slightly anonymous in the semi-final against Limerick. Kieran Bergin will play in his first All-Ireland on Sunday and it seems likely he will have the unenviable job of shackling the Ballyhale ace.
TJ Reid took the championship by storm in the opening rounds, being almost unplayable against Galway in both games and producing a powerful performance against Dublin in the Leinster final. One of the most naturally talented hurlers in the game, Reid has not always produced it consistently for his county but there is no doubting his prowess when he is on form.
Video via MarcasOCallanain.
Bergin is relatively inexperienced at inter-county level in comparison to his opponent, but he has delivered a number of mature performances for the Premier County this season most notably against Cork and Galway. He is a strong imposing figure at wing back and should be able to compete under the high ball effectively with Reid. The Killenaule man is also a scoring threat and has managed a tidy five points in just seven championship outings.
This is an intriguing battle and will really depend on which TJ Reid shows up on Sunday. Will it be the TJ Reid that destroyed Galway or the TJ Reid who was so carefully marshalled by Limerick’s Seamus Hickey? One thing is certain, Kieran Bergin will not fear facing the Ballyhale man and will surely be excited at the prospect of facing the All-Ireland winner and showing the country what he can do.
All roads lead to Croker on Sunday, who will be victorious is a mystery but we should know by Sunday evening. Either way, this game promises to be a cracker and hopefully it delivers on all the hype surrounding it.
Main image via Cathal Noonan.
