Lawlor feeling at home in defence as he aims to win first Celtic Cross

It’s hard to believe that Huw Lawlor only made his intercounty debut with Kilkenny in 2019 as, in the intervening period, he has quickly established himself as one of the most important players on the team.

Such was Lawlor’s impact in that debut season that he was nominated for an All-Star after impressing at full-back on the Cats run to the All-Ireland final.

The O’Loughlin Gaels star then went one further when he and club colleague Mikey Butler picked up individual accolades for their displays in last year’s championship.

Lawlor’s battle with Aaron Gillane was one of the standout match-ups in last year’s final and you’d wonder are we set for another tussle between the two at 3.30pm on Sunday.

Lawlor’s sizeable physique makes him the perfect full-back in many ways and that’s why it was so surprising to see Derek Lyng experiment with him at centre-back for a period during the Allianz National Hurling League.

“I’m comfortable enough at full back as I’ve been playing there a long time and it’s certainly a position that I enjoy,” Lawlor said about his role on the edge of the square.

“I know I’ve played a bit further out the field and you probably see a bit more of the ball as a result and there’s different challenges.

“The idea is the same though and you are just trying to defend as best as you can.”

That defending aspect is something that looks natural to the 27-year-old but he has been something of a late bloomer, even playing some of his early school hurling with Kilkenny CBS in the forwards.

It may seem mad, considering his current size, but Lawlor took time to grow into his frame. Now he is ranked as one of, if not the best, full-backs in the game.

“I was on the smaller side when I was growing up but then I kind of shot up as I got into my later teens,” Lawlor said on his transformation as a youngster.

“I didn’t really change that much as to how I was hurling or anything like that and I would have played anywhere at that time really.”

The Kilkenny defender is one of a number of players that is yet to climb the Hogan Stand and lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

With Sunday being his third final, the ambition remains as strong as ever that this will be Kilkenny’s year.

“It’s a dream, I suppose, when I was younger and it’s a goal now as we are really hungry to win an All-Ireland and we really want to do it.

“There’s huge hunger there and that’s been evident from training all year. It shows you how competitive the panel is that everyone is working together to try and win an All-Ireland.

“That’s our goal and we are working hard to get there.

“It’s the same every year when we go back training, you are building towards reaching an All-Ireland final and it’s great to be there.”

Lawlor’s previous two final appearances came under the guidance of Brian Cody but in a new era for Kilkenny hurling it’s Derek Lyng that has led the Cats to this year’s decider.

The All-Star full-back is full of praise for the impact the new management team has had over the course of the season so far.

“Derek and the lads have been absolutely brilliant since they came in the first day we went training,” he said. “It’s the same idea as everyone is trying to show the right attitude and work ethic to get the best performances.

“The experience that the management team have is crucial and even the lads on the panel that have won the All-Ireland, their words are vital too.

“It’s a massive help and they are massive leaders there for us.”

Huw Lawlor will be looking to keep out Limerick’s much vaunted attack in Croke Park on Sunday

Kilkenny probably hit the ground running a lot quicker than many would have expected under new management. As well as winning a Leinster Championship, they also competed in this year’s Allianz League Final.

Kilkenny were well beaten in that League final by Sunday’s opponents but they seemed to have learned a lot of lessons as they progressed through the championship.

“We’ve been building all the time and we are just trying to improve our performances all the time, said Lawlor. “In the last couple of matches we’ve been managing to get over the line and get the wins, so yeah, I think we are improving.”

While Kilkenny are still trying to get over the line on the biggest day in the calendar, they are knocking on the door. A lot of the success they have had in the last five seasons which has seen them reach at least an All-Ireland semi-final each year is based on the consistency of the defence.

Lawlor, as well as Tommy Walsh, Richie Reid and Eoin Murphy have been the fulcrum during that time and with the likes of Mikey Butler now coming to the fore, Kilkenny have a fine base to build on.

“Having good communication in defence is crucial as whether you are defending the goal or defending points going over, it’s a huge team effort.

“It’s not just the backs either, it’s the midfielders and forwards helping out and obviously with Eoin Murphy in goal we are all just doing our bit to do our best for Kilkenny.”

On the subject of Eoin Murphy, the Kilkenny full-back knows more than most just how influential he can be.

“Eoin is a superb ’keeper obviously and it’s not only his shot stopping that is incredible, his distribution and communication with us in front of him is top class,” Lawlor continued.

Limerick will certainly give the Kilkenny defence their toughest test to date and Lawlor and Co will have to be at the top of their game if they are to dethrone the reigning champions.

“We just need to get our heads right and getting the team working together as best as we can and we’ll be focussed on ourselves as we try to get our best performance out on the field.

“You want to be playing against the best teams on the biggest days in the calendar so we are happy to be there and we will be ready to go.

“Anyone you mark at this level is going to bring a huge challenge to it and I think you really need to be clued in and at your best to keep up with anyone.”