Paul Murphy- An intriguing All-Ireland awaits but Kilkenny to come home with Mac

An All-Ireland final is a new experience, regardless of how many matches you’ve played. The pageantry and everything that goes with the day is something you have to have your mind prepared for, but Kilkenny are lucky in that they have a number of players who have been there before.

There’s a huge crop of players who will carry this experience into the future and will be the spine of the team for years to come. Getting them into their first final will be huge for the team’s fortunes over the next five to 10 years.

When it comes to preparing for the final, you have to enjoy the run-in. After winning the semi-final, it sinks in that this is everything you’ve worked towards all year - everything you’ve done has been aimed at making that final. If you’re one of the top six or seven teams in the country, you’re targeting being in an All-Ireland final.

For these Kilkenny players it’s important to enjoy this time but it’s also vital that, from very early on, you’re organised regarding what you’re going to do in the two weeks leading up to the game. People will be asking about tickets, they’ll be talking about the match and how you came through the semi-final; dealing with that in the run-in is so important.

Having your days planned is key too. Many players will stay out of the canteen at work just to avoid the conversation about the game while others will go in and talk about it. It’s very much personality-driven in that way.

When it comes to dealing with the game itself it’s no different than any other match - it’s still 70 minutes of hurling. There are the added aspects and the pageantry, but they don’t affect the game or how you’re going to play. A lot of the preparation is mental; thinking about what’s coming down the line and how the day is going to pan out.

You need to be relaxed ahead of the throw-in too. You know there’s going to be a lull before the game - after the warm-up you will meet the President and have the parade - so it’s a long time to be tense. Make sure you treat it like any other game, but be aware that there are those added frills. Don’t be too wound up too early before the match.

You have to zone out a little, too. You see some players looking up into the crowd, taking it all in, but I’d be encouraging them to keep their eyes in front, walk around and not be distracted by what’s going on around you. There’ll be flares going off on Hill 16, bands playing on the sideline and children out on the pitch waving flags - there is so much going on, but you have to just focus on what you’re doing.

If you take it all in like a spectator you’ll take from your warm-up and preparations. That is something to have in your head - it’s another match, but the day itself isn’t normal. You have to be tuned in and prepared for the layout before the game.

Being first into the final is a great boost to players, as you get to watch two other teams who would love to be in the position you’re in. The Kilkenny players would have enjoyed the Limerick v Galway game and, once that final whistle went, they would have said ‘right, it’s time to start preparing for Limerick’. You can start picturing the final as, once you know the team you’re going to play, the game becomes all the more real.

Regarding the second semi-final I thought that Limerick would win it well. It was our first time seeing them in Croke Park and I felt the open space would suit their game plan, but Galway really had their homework done. Although Limerick went 0-6 to 0-1 up, once Galway got into the game they showed a few chinks in the Treaty armour.

Limerick have a system where they know where the players are on the pitch, when they’re going forward and back, whereas Galway identified an area between the two 65m lines which Limerick didn’t occupy once the ball was turned over. Galway got players into it and scored a few points on the trot.

That doesn’t happen that often - Limerick try to stop teams scoring three times in a row, but Galway achieved it. I think that’s something Kilkenny will be looking at and may feel they have any amount of players who can step into that area, especially from the half-forward line. By doing that you’re asking questions of players like Declan Hannon, Diarmuid Byrnes and Dan Morrissey as their system dictates they sit back a little more. If lads are popping balls over from that area they’ll have to do something about that. Galway identified that and I think Kilkenny will be thinking the likes of Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody can pop balls over - they’ll be thinking ‘let’s fill in that area and ask questions of Limerick’.

They have a system, so you need to poke holes in it, make them do something they don’t want to do. Galway got it right in many ways and could have won but were a little wasteful in their shooting.

From a Kilkenny point of view it was encouraging that the Limerick juggernaut never took off on the day, so you could see where Kilkenny could win the All-Ireland if they faced a similar team.

Galway’s gameplan made Limerick bring off four of their forwards, including Gearoid Hegarty, in the semi-final. Kilkenny will be looking to see what stifled these players

We saw every facet of Limerick’s game in the semi-final, all the ways they play the game. They took off fast and opened a quick lead before Galway came back into the game. We saw how they reacted and how Galway were going at them. They had that little cuteness coming down the home straight - Kyle Hayes was dropping back, while David Reidy came off the bench and was really influential as they closed out the game.

The experiences Limerick have been through in the last few years helped them manage the game and close it out. Kilkenny will know what they’re facing and know what Limerick will want to do.

Galway did a lot of things right in the semi-final, so much so that Limerick brought off four of their starting forwards. Kilkenny will look at that and say what did Galway do that made Limerick take the likes of a former Hurler of the Year in Gearoid Hegarty and Tom Morrissey, one of the best hurlers in the country, come off. There’s something there that tells you the Galway backs were on top, so Kilkenny will look to see what stifled these players and how they can bring it into their game.

As for Sunday’s game it’s certainly going to be an intriguing final. Limerick have a system they’ll want to play, while Kilkenny have shown this year that they are the team who can poke holes in a system. Look at the Leinster final: Galway wanted to sit back but Kilkenny didn’t let them do that - Billy Ryan and Adrian Mullen stood out on the 65 and asked questions of the Galway wing-backs. You could also see in the semi-final that Kilkenny had Clare’s cards marked. Mikey Butler marked Tony Kelly out of the game while the team created space, working the ball out short when they had to and then pumping it long when they knew the Clare backs had stepped out.

Kilkenny have proven time and again in the championship that whatever system you want to play, given a week or two they can ask questions of you that you weren’t expecting. Limerick will want to play their system, but Kilkenny will go ‘ok, we’ll throw a few curveballs at you’. It will be an arm wrestle to see who has the players on the pitch to implement their gameplan to a better level.

I believe Kilkenny will win the game as they’re coming into it in a really good position. John Kiely was trying to paint Kilkenny as favourites - sorry John, as ye are going for three in a row that favourites tag is yours. However, that’s a dangerous position to be in as Limerick haven’t played a 70-minute game yet - the Munster final was the closest they’ve come to that. Throughout the championship they haven’t appeared to have the most flawless of set-ups. They’ve been really good, but they’ve left doors open for teams to potentially win games.

Outside of the county Kilkenny haven’t been tipped to win this; that will be fire to a lot of the Kilkenny players. With that jersey on their backs they will believe they can go out and win any game, so there will be enormous motivation and huge pride there. They will relish this challenge and, if Limerick are 1% or 2% off on the day, that will be huge.

I believe Kilkenny will do whatever it takes to win it and make sure there’s a Ballyhale man going up the steps to collect the MacCarthy Cup.