Cian Tracey- Kilkenny attack has the ability to cause Tipperary issues this weekend

Ahead of Sunday’s clash in Croke Park, there are few men better placed to analyse this weekend’s heavyweight clash between Tipperary and Kilkenny than Cian Treacy.

The Thurles Sarsfields clubman was the Kilkenny under-20 coach this season, so stands between two great hurling dynasties – and he knows exactly what’s on the line having been placed on the opposite dugout to his county men in last month’s All-Ireland under-20 final.

“The big thing for Kilkenny is that they need to get to the final, and, you know, it’s the old enemy. So, it’s a huge rivalry,” he said.

“I remember the league game earlier in the year, saying, ‘this is when Tipperary needs to win’, and I think this is probably when Kilkenny needs to win.

“They’re five, six years on the go of this team, they’ve huge experience in Croke Park, and I’m sure that they’re really going to fear what Tipperary are going to bring, which is, they’re on a serious run, there’s massive momentum, young players are really pushing it on. But for Kilkenny, I think they’ll sense that with Limerick gone, this is a massive opportunity.”

That opportunity, he believes, hinges heavily on Kilkenny’s attacking power with the return of Eoin Cody a massive boost to Derek Lyng’s side, who have a set of forwards to rival most in the country, on current form.

“It’s probably the six best forwards in the country,” he says. “If you look at Eoin Cody, he is a fair hard man to tie down, and it will be really interesting to see the match-ups that Liam Cahill has picked.

“Cian Kenny is a real link man between front and back, and he’s using the ball really well, but it’s a really formidable forward line, and when you have a guy like TJ Reid with his experience, he’s a real focal point. You also have Mossy Keoghan who’s going really well at the moment, probably in Hurler of the Year form along with Huw Lawlor. When you have forwards like that, you always have a chance.”

Croke Park experience, Treacy believes, may still tilt things in Kilkenny’s favour - but he sees a fearlessness in Tipp’s emerging stars that can’t be discounted.

“We’ve got an exuberance of youth, and there’s such a youthful influx into this team, and you know, particularly with the likes of Darragh, the likes of Oisín and Sam, they fear nothing.

“You hear all these interviews with the older lads, Jason, Jake and Ronan, and they’re just talking about how that has lifted everything, to have these young lads coming in.

“I just think both sides, both management teams, will be looking for performances. Both will feel that if they can hit that maximum performance on Sunday, they could be in a final,” he finished.