All Ireland Hurling Final Kilkenny v Tipp - 4 in a row for Kilkenny ?

[EddieMerx]

I would say so, I know a few people finding it hard to get tickets, come Saturday I would say some will be floating around (there normally is on AI Hurling final weekend)

[the Deel Rover]

Just hope the final is as good as the league final this year and that this time tipp hold on to win.

[Guillem2]

Is it just me or are tickets particularly hard to come by this year?

Any way I'm looking forward to a good match after a few poor finals in recent years. Kilkenny by 3 or 4 pts. The minor should be good as well. I could watch Canning all day long.

[Minder]

Is it just me or are tickets particularly hard to come by this year?

Any way I'm looking forward to a good match after a few poor finals in recent years. Kilkenny by 3 or 4 pts. The minor should be good as well. I could watch Canning all day long.

Dunno about that, there are six of us going down and we should all be sorted tomorrow with maybe one to spare. It is to be a real pish of a day on Sunday in Dublin so it could be a bollocks of a game.

[milltown row]

just got my usual allocation, 60 quid is steep (hope the wife doesn't read this) but rain or shine the crowds will be down. think there is also some spare tickets at the minute from what i'm hearing

[Premier Emperor]

Tickets are in big demand this year.
After two dud finals with Waterford and Limerick, the hurling public are hungry for a truly great battle of giants.
In fairness the traditional counties nearly always serve up a classic when they meet.

[GalwayBayBoy]

In fairness the traditional counties nearly always serve up a classic when they meet.

Some of the recent Kilkenny v Cork finals were far from classics. Tipp I suppose haven't been in many finals against either side in recent memory. The 91 final wasn't a bad game in fairness.

[Minder]

In fairness the traditional counties nearly always serve up a classic when they meet.

Some of the recent Kilkenny v Cork finals were far from classics. Tipp I suppose haven't been in many finals against either side in recent memory. The 91 final wasn't a bad game in fairness.

If memory serves me right the '91 final was brutal.

[GalwayBayBoy]

In fairness the traditional counties nearly always serve up a classic when they meet.

Some of the recent Kilkenny v Cork finals were far from classics. Tipp I suppose haven't been in many finals against either side in recent memory. The 91 final wasn't a bad game in fairness.

If memory serves me right the '91 final was brutal.

I only have a hazy enough memory of it. I know it was close enough anyway for most of the game. Either way the point stands. The "traditional counties" do not always serve up instant classics. Far from it.

[Kevin]

In fairness the traditional counties nearly always serve up a classic when they meet.

Some of the recent Kilkenny v Cork finals were far from classics. Tipp I suppose haven't been in many finals against either side in recent memory. The 91 final wasn't a bad game in fairness.

If memory serves me right the '91 final was brutal.

In '91 the Minor Game was exciting, but the Senior Game was poor.

Kilkenny by 6 this time around.

[imtommygunn]

Any sign of any teams yet?

Noel Hickey didn't play the semi isn't that right? They'd hardly play him the final would they?

Is Eoin Kelly fully fit or still carrying injuries?

I expect the minor game to be a cracker. If Tipp can up their game then the final could be good too however I fear that Kilkenny will be that bit too good.

[thejuice]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/0904/1224253820504.html

TIPPERARY HAVE named an unchanged side for Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final.

Unsurprisingly in the light of the 24-point semi-final demolition of Limerick, manager Liam Sheedy and his selectors have opted to retain the starting 15 from last month despite late injury fears about wing back Declan Fanning.

The Killenaule player hurt his hamstring within the last week in training, but has been included and will play, according to county PRO Ger Ryan.

Fanning has played every minute of the championship campaign to date, one of only three players, along with Paddy Stapleton and Pádraic Maher, to have done so.

Three of the team also started the 2001 All-Ireland final success against Galway, the last time the county featured in the All-Ireland decider.

Goalkeeper Brendan Cummins, full forward Eoin Kelly and left corner forward Lar Corbett all lined out eight years ago.

Substitute Paul Kelly also started, while John O'Brien and Paul Curran were on the panel.

Curran will be the only player to have started all of Tipperary's NHL and championship matches, although O'Brien and James Woodlock have appeared at some stage in all of them.

Four players, Pádraic Maher, Brendan Maher, Séamus Callanan and Noel McGrath were part of the All-Ireland winning minor teams from the county in 2006 and '07.

Four of the team started the last championship meeting with Kilkenny, six years ago in the All-Ireland semi-final when, despite leading at half-time, Tipp went down to a 12-point defeat – Brendan Cummins, Paul Curran, Eoin Kelly and Lar Corbett.

[thejuice]

I really hope Tipp do it. Its important for hurling as it is for Tipp. They haven't won since 2001 and before that it must have been the Pat Fox and Nicky English era in the early 90's if my memory serves me right.

However Kilkenny have so much talent its ludicrous. Power, Shefflin and Brennan cant be given an inch. Cha and Lyng probably have the upper hand at midfield.

The only thing that will beat Kilkenny is a lack of hunger. They are more talented and probably physically more dominant. And lack of hunger and work-rate are not something a team coached by Brian Cody is known for.

It'll still be close and hopefully as good as the league final this year. Kilkenny by less than 3.

[maxpower]

Don't buy into this notion that its important for hurling that Tipp win on sunday, Kilkenny are awesome and as someone who cheers for teams and players like Schmacher (sp), Woods, Manchester United, the All Blacks etc i find it quite inspiring watching a team ruthlessly and consistently exert their brilliance, Kilkenny are in my mind a once in a generation team and i love to see them in full flow.

Of course at the beginning of the year if you had to pick a final it probaly would have been sundays pairing, the league final was a fantastic advertisment for hard agressive and skillfull hurling.  But did Tipp show their hand too early.

I expect Kilkenny to grind out a hard fought win, i think the scoreline will be relatively low given the attacking brilliance on view and that Kilkennys shrewdness tactically could prove the difference, i'd expect shefflin to go into full forward on a relatively inexperienced full back, that may be the big difference

[mouview]

KK for all their greatness haven't been as good this year as others and *some* of their players can definitely be got at - eg. Michael Kavanagh, Hickey (if he plays), Brian Hogan while Gorta and Fogarty are ordinary enough. Tipp, unlike Waterford last year, have the tradition to make a real game of it and enough good players too. I'd be worried about their midfield though. Have to say it wold be great to see them beat the Greatest Team of all time since documented sport began on Earth!