Very good first 15 mins and we've done well to hang with them in the last 20 mins. Free count is ridiculous but to be fair most of them were frees (some of them really really soft and the Blanchfield one just blatantly wrong) but that's always likely to happen against Cork due to their running game. Conor Delaney under serious pressure in the corner.
Gonna be hard to win this with that ref
Plenty of fire still left in Brian Cody’s belly anyway!
Cork's throwing of the ball must be the most blatant of any county.
Clare won by a good bit. Clare had a full strength team out. Kilkenny were giving a look to a lot of players who had maybe not seen much game time up to now.
Cork leading 2-10 to 0-13 at HT. Yes game is at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. My own county Clare played the Kilkenny's U20's in a challenge match early in the last week. Does anyone know how that match went?
Yes at 5.15 for u20 game
Wouldn't over-read this stuff. St Kieran's have won 6 of the last 10 Colleges AI titles. Kilkenny have won 1 of the last 10 AI minor titles. Galway have won 4 of the last 5 minor AI titles and when did their schools last win a colleges?
Any update on that U20 match? Is it in pairc UI chaoimh?
I don't think Buckley miss hit the ball for his goal either. Give the chap some credit.
Would agree about Kenny but felt he improved against Waterford. You mustn't have been watching Buckley for the last two matches because he has been integral to the KK game plan. Without his massive workload and ground coverage there was no way we would have stifled the Dublin and Waterford half back lines. Also he frees up Padraig to drift off his marker and get scores. He also looks to be moving a lot more freely the last few matches which is a good sign considering his injury history.
Matt Kenny is doing well hanging onto a spot on the panel. I don't remember him getting a run in the league.Pity Hogan isn't on the panel but he could of got a run out with ten mins to go last week but I'd say he'll probably see little time again this year before he goes.
Tommy and mullen must be injured but we're all probably in agreement mullen could benefit being pulled aside and try refocus before the championship. There's no doubting the potential is there but it hasn't being happening for a while. Its good to see deegan back I thought he was out for a few more weeks. Richie can feel a little hard done by but deegan is probably a better option at the moment. Maybe deegan could of went corner back and Richie stayed at 6. I'd be very worried two rookie corner backs and one who definitely isn't blessed with pace but there must be a plan in delaneys inclusion. He will be hoping to try redeem himself a bit after last year although I'd blame management for that bringing him on after a long injury on their fastest player and not making a change was scandalous.Cork give some great ball into the forwards and loads of movement inside so we our full back line will probably be in for a tough evening.Its very hard defend against so all we can do is reduce the good deliveries and we will probably do similar to the last two matches and swamp that middle 3rd.This pitch should suit Billy Ryan so hopefully he gets better ball tomor evening. Mossy works fierce hard but he needs to trouble the score board cause padriag won't get the same freedom he had till now. When he goes into certain areas he will be picked up.This will be a big step up but it's a great test for the newcomers and this is the only way they can get experience and learn once we don't get a bad beating its after being a positive league for us.
The u20s are out In a few weeks.What way has preparation gone?is Liam Moore back on the panel?who will be the go to players on this team?I think cork have 2 lads involved with the seniors so they can't play for the u20s this year if they choose that. We probably have no one close from the u20 pushing our senior squad let alone the team but cork have got their act together underage we need to follow.
Players have to be picked on form rather than what they have done in the past.
Has there been any confirmation if there is an U20 game or not tomorrow?
True but I meant any combo of Kenny/Buckley/Murphy I dont see surviving.
I feel the plaudits being thrown at Buckley and Kenny in recent weeks is overdone (and I'm a fan of Kenny) , I dont think they have done a lot. Havent hurled badly by any means, just haven't donea lot. I feel even Buckley's goal was mishit, but fair play to him for going for it, shows confidence which he looks like he has been lacking.
Happy to be proven spectacularly wrong
Just a recap on schools year to date and it certainly does not show any sign that the well has run dry as many outside and some inside the county suggest.
Senior A Good Counsel with over half team from Kilkenny won Leinster A. Kierans got to AI final. CBS by my reckoning were the third best team in Leinster
Senior B Won by Johnstown
Senior 2 Callan in final, still to be played
Junior A. Kierans and CBS by a distance two best teams at this age level in Leinster and will contest final next week after earlier contesting League final
Junior B. Johnstown in final (I think), still to be played
Juvenile/2nd year: Again Kierans and CBS top two with Kierans easily winning recent league final
Kierans seem to have an outstanding U16 team
That midfield won't play. Murphy will move out there with Bucks playing as a 4th half forward as he's done throughout the league.
Cody's treatment of Richie Reid is shocking. Allways has being over the last few years..
Tough on Reid who played really well last Sunday, especially in 2nd half. Happy to see Delaney back.
Not sure on that midfield, I will be surprised if it lasts the summer.
Mossy Keoghan lucky to hang on to spot, Donnelly looked much better when he came on for him.
Very worrying that Mullen isn't even in subs, but in truth his form is very poor and I feel Cody picked him last week to see if his poor Ballyhale form carried over in to Kilkenny, sadly it did and we may not see him again in coming weeks.
And sad to see Richie Hogan (assuming he isn't injured) yet again being dicked around, his treatment these last few years is shameful in my opinion. If Cody has no plans for him it's high time he told the man straight. This is no way to treat one of our greatest ever players.
Looking forward to match but i would be astonished if that team (even with TJ back) is good enough to mount an AI challenge and if there are players to be found out, best it happens this weekend or next.
A strong looking team and some nice options to bring off the bench also.....I'm assuming Tommy Walsh and Mullen must be injured/sick when not in the 26 at all.
Has matt Kenny featured at all during this league yet??
Thought Deegan was out for a few weeks. Mullen not in subs. Good to see Browne and Leahy back. Tommy Walsh???
KK v CORK
E Murphy
M Butler H Lawlor C Delaney
M Carey P Deegan D Blanchfield
C Kenny C Buckley
W Walsh P Walsh E Cody
B Ryan M Keoghan A Murphy
Subs
D Brennan
R Reid
C Browne
D Corcoran
J Maher
M Kenny
J Donnelly
J Bergin
T O Dwyer
S Walsh
R Leahy
I actually heard the same from a hurling insider too.
I am similar to you in your opinions. Hopefully the progress continues.
I would have to say that I was impressed with the Waterford win and the biggest plus was the fact we stuck to the game plan. My only real complaint would be our forward movement particularly the two inside was woeful in the first half. The movement was much improved with the introduction of E Cody.
There are caveats in how much intensity Waterford were playing with, how much had they done in the last week or two a lot of Waterford lads seemed to be going down with cramp or for a break even in the first half.
Cody seems to have changed his stripes and it's what many have been calling for, for 5 years or so now. I'm not sure it will be enough but as another poster said there will always be total effort when Cody is in charge. Having that effort mixed with a smart style of play should help a huge amount. It remains to be seen if we can adapt enough on the field if teams alter their game to counteract our game plan, like Cork did after 20 odd mins in last year's semi. It also remains to be seen if we will stick to our new style when the real pressure comes on. Positive so far and far more positive than I expected and I'm delighted to be proved wrong but I'm also not getting over excited yet.
We'll have it all to do against Cork but I would expect about a 75% of Cork's best 15 to start. I think Cork will obviously go for it with their starting 15 but they also wouldn't be devastated if they lost seeing as their playing Limerick in 3 weeks in the first round of championship. They would prefer 3 weeks to prepare rather than 2 for such a huge game. I think given our schedule we will be all out to get another top end game.
I for one would be ok with that. I wouldn't have any worries about TJ's fitness or sharpness so let him do whatever he himself thinks is necessary at this stage to get him self ready.
Regarding the team for tomorrow, I'd expect more or less the same with maybe Donnelly coming in for Mullen and maybe Cody for Mossy.
I'd like to see Mullen tried at midfield at some point but not sure if he has the condition for there just yet.
My uncle maintains Richie Power is the most gifted hurler he has ever seen and it's a hill he's willing to die on.
I always thought that Richie Power had the potential to be a hurler of the year. Great in the air, fabulous touch and control, equally good off his left and right, good vision, good at soloing and fast as well. Only played half a match all year before the all ireland final and replay where he got 3 goals. Injury blighted his career and he made extraordinary efforts to prolong his career.
Will you ever see Richie Hogan for anything other than 20 minutes......ever again?
This break for TJ could be the best thing ever.
He will have the body and hunger right.
Still plenty left in that fella, he’s made of the right stuff!
From Kilkenny People this week,
Cody added: “TJ Reid played his way through the club championship while carrying an injury and that was understandable so he is just doing a bit of rehab at the moment.
“Hopefully over the next few weeks he will get back into it but he definitely won’t be available for the rest of the league.”
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