AI Final 07/09/14. Tipp v Kilkenny

Tipperary not getting much credit at all this year.
Should have held out against an excellent Limerick, a team that were Munster champions at the time, a team that pushed both Cork and Kilkenny close.
They defeated Galway, most said it was a Galway collapse due to so many games despite Kilkenny winning the Leinster final the very next day having played the same two difficult games.
They waltzed past Offaly and Dublin, of course it was Dublin who were flat, Tipp bet them by 13, a similar beating than what KK gave them.
They then crushed Cork, last years Munster finalists, All Ireland finalists and this years Munster champions.

If I was Kilkenny, i'd take note. They are quality this year and playing the most attractive, dynamic hurling. Saying all this, Kilkenny have had their measure in big matches. It'll be close but i think Tipp will make it 2-2 in final matches, KK 2009, 2011, Tipp 2010, 2014.

Tipp by 4.

savannahkat wrote: »

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, championship meetings each year with a few league finals thrown in for good measure. I suppose statistics can be used for any purpose and in this case for A.I finals only. Fair enough though not even remotely reflecting the true history between the sides since 2009. As for credit that never comes until after the A.I final and only then to the winners. Kilkenny won every competition they entered this year Walsh Cup, League and Leinster getting somewhat less credit even thanTipp.
By the way Kilkenny by 8+

Come on the cats. Kilkenny the home of hurling. Up Kilkenny.

68deville wrote: »

JJ will have to clear a lot of lines if KK win by 8, the KK defence ain't what
It used ta be,would you reckon Buckley and Holden in the HB line would be
Similar ta Tommy and JJ at their best??

Few will ever be as good as Tommy and JJ in their prime. They are legends and will continue to be spoken of in years to come. We are blessed in Kilkenny to have had the two greatest half backs ever to play the game, play together for so long. I went to my 1st A.I final in 1957 and down the years I have never seen two better half backs either from Kilkenny or any other county. I cannot speak pre=1957 but those who can and know their hurling are mostly of the same opinion. It is a simple truth.
I would not expect Joey Holden or Cillian Buckley to be as good but I am happy they are up to inter-county standard and a very high inter-county standard. Buckley in particular is still not in his prime and is the outstanding man in his position this year. The guy is exceptionally good and will make a great center back in years to come.
The Tipp defense will have to clear just as much ball as the Kilkenny defense so we will wait and see who manages the better.

Ryu Hayabusa wrote: »

Tipperary win by five points, Lar Corbett to score two goals and drink the bitter tears of the Kilkenny supporters

You must be dreaming lol.

malistheman wrote: »

Barry Kelly confirmed as referee for the final.

:-(

GerB40 wrote: »

As a Tipp man I'll be called bitter if I agreed with the above.
What I will say is Kelly won't take shít from either team but should allow for a free flowing game. Right choice in my opinion.

It's a free country. You can do what ye like. All the offences listed are red card offences. AFAIK KKs red/yellow card count is among the lowest in inter county hurling. That's the beauty of Boards, you can post what you like and it doesn't even have to be based on fact.

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

So you and your ilk have some kind of magical ability to see fouls that trained inter-county refs simply cannot, for years on end, ever seem to see? Do you not think it's a little more likely and plausible that maybe Kilkenny are no different to any other team, that perhaps what you are seeing is a projection of your own bias? A tendency, maybe, to go out of your way to see Kilkenny fouling, because that's what people do with all winning teams?

No, you're right, it's literally Kilkenny's 'dark arts', a magical spell that tricks every referee, but not you for some reason. Do explain, preferably without reference to some kind of GAA conspiracy to keep Kilkenny winning...

I never said I believe in the whole 'dark arts' talk. Firstly the term itself is ridiculous. All teams foul sometimes, there's no art to it.
Secondly I personally believe this whole conspiracy bullshyte only exists because Kilkenny are the best hurling team in Ireland, people need to find an excuse for that rather than just acknowledge that KK are that good.

In short, I'm in full agreement with you. But others are not..

Rightwing wrote: »

I said it before the Tipp/Cork game and I was proven right. It still applies, Tipp will wipe the floor with KK if they play to their full potential. That's the only issue as far as I'm concerned.

Wonder what happened to Tipp against Limerick. Wipe the floor with them, did they. Different teams, different styles, different managers, different players, different days, different weather, different injuries, different attitudes, different histories, different luck even.
I love this if they play to their full potential. If they were playing a club team maybe, or an under 21 team maybe, but at this level the object is to prevent the opposition from playing to their full potential and Kilkenny are masters of that and far more so in recent times than Tipp. 2010 was a loss to Kilkenny due to Brian Hogan's injury and Henry Shefflins. This Tipp team have never beaten a full strength Kilkenny team since Cody took over. You might not like it, but it is a fact. That is not belittling Tipp rather it is stating a truth about Kilkenny and Brian Cody. Just as from 1970 to 76 the second best team in Ireland were Wexford who had the misfortune to come up against the second best Kilkenny team of all time and but for that Wexford would have taken two or three All Irelands in that period, same as Tipp would if Kilkenny had not stood in their way over the past 14 years.

Mountainlad wrote: »

But they did their best not to start Hogan, and Shefflin won't start in the final this year, so you're predicting a Tipp win?

Number one, you do not know if Henry Shefflin will or will not start. Number two Brian Hogan is not injured this year nor is Henry at present according to Brian Cody. You can guess all you like why Brian Cody did not pick Brian Hogan earlier or why he has kept Henry on the bench for the last few games. You don't know, it is as simple as that and to infer you do is bordering on wishful thinking. You, no more than I know the full reason. What you do know is with the exception of Michael Rice, Kilkenny will pick from a full panel and a fully fit panel unlike 2010 when Kilkenny had to contend with injuries to Henry, Brian and John Tennyson. That is fact and to believe it did not impact on the game is a form of burying your head in the sand.

Glad to read the Bonner is fit and rearing to go. No one likes to see a any player miss a final due to injury but specially one as whole hearted as the Bonner. He's presence makes it that bit harder to beat Tipp but that is the way you want it.

Rightwing wrote: »

So many inaccuracies in the rubbish I don't even know where to start. :rolleyes:

Were KK starting with 14 men or am I missing something ?

Yep, a bit of common sense .:)