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

[Canalman]

Hardstation, I am sorry for him because this incident will follow him around for the rest of his life. I know all actions have consequences but still feel for him on a human level. He will need his friends and family to rally round him.... which I'm sure they will.

[orangeman]

Definitely a red card imo. Feel very sorry for Benny Dunne all the same. The Tipp fans I'm afraid will not be as forgiving...... especially as Toomeevara wouldn't be the most popular of clubs there.
Am I alone in thinking that Michael Kavanagh was sensational today..... very close to motm in my opinion. TW also a contender. Pádraig Maher brilliant also.

Why are they not popular ?

[INDIANA]

Definitely a red card imo. Feel very sorry for Benny Dunne all the same. The Tipp fans I'm afraid will not be as forgiving...... especially as Toomeevara wouldn't be the most popular of clubs there.

Am I alone in thinking that Michael Kavanagh was sensational today..... very close to motm in my opinion. TW also a contender. Pádraig Maher brilliant also.

Always the players that you're worried about prior to a game usually come up trumps! Can't buy experience.

[INDIANA]

Definitely a red card imo. Feel very sorry for Benny Dunne all the same. The Tipp fans I'm afraid will not be as forgiving...... especially as Toomeevara wouldn't be the most popular of clubs there.
Am I alone in thinking that Michael Kavanagh was sensational today..... very close to motm in my opinion. TW also a contender. Pádraig Maher brilliant also.

Why are they not popular ?

Becasue they win too much and have a lower the blades reputation

[Treasurer]

Just home.  Some game!  Unfortunate error by Kirwan with the penalty, thought he had a good game otherwise.  Dunne had to go, but I felt sorry for him, rush of blood to the head. The Kilkenny substitutions, Comerford in particular, were crucial. Great performance from Ryan between the posts, should finally get his all star.  That said, Tipp will be kicking themselves they didn't put those away. 

Now to read this thread....

[stew]

A tremendous advertisement for hurling today, two wonderful teams going at it hammer and tongs, the difference was inches today and the difference maker was the best player on the field, the Kilkenny keeper, he was absolutely sublime and he was the difference maker in a game that seemed to be getting away from Kilkenny.

I have been on the batter all day long, I saw both games in Croker today and before the minor game started they showed an old AIF from the early seventies, the difference in technique was staggering, most of the boys from that era were one dimensional in that they hit the puck from one side only and not only that but they couldnt hit the puck as far nor were they as fit.

I am sure technology has changed the game a lot but these teams today would absolutely slaughter the teams from yesteryear.

Brilliant game today, a joy to watch and if the football can come close to that standard we are all in for a treat, congratulation KK but tipp to me, were the best team on the field today, they will be back and they will win the mccarthy next year in my opinion.

[ziggysego]

Really enjoyed today's game. Was on the edge of my seat all through it. Congratulations to Kilkenny. Four in a row eh!

[tyroneman]

none of the negative tactics that blight football

Fantastic game but seriously.....third man tackles.....off the ball niggling......there was plenty in that game today that football gets slated for.

All said though the best final of the last 10 years

[orangeman]

none of the negative tactics that blight football

Fantastic game but seriously.....third man tackles.....off the ball niggling......there was plenty in that game today that football gets slated for.

All said though the best final of the last 10 years

Maybe so but the difference was and is that the hurlers just get on with it.

[North Longford]

Being from Longford I'm not much of a hurling officianado so I could very likely be wrong here but I'm struggling a bit with the general concensus that the ref had a good game because he let lots go. Surely if there are fouls he should be blowing the whistle. Now to slightly contadict myself it is preferable to the bloody non stop whistling that goes on in football but surely then in the context of this, the decision to give a penalty was absoutely atrocious. There must have been at least 20 more serious incidents out the field that weren't blown and in my opinion the penalty was the one crucial turning point in the game. Compare that supposed foul to the shoulder charge into the gut of Seamus Callanan that didn't even warant a free.
I'd say Joe McQuillan, Jonh Bannon, Geroid and many other football refs are a bit perplexed there isn't a 10 page thread about the referee on here today. My advice to them would be to only blow for about 1 in every 3 fouls and there reputation will be seriously enhanced!!!

All that being said you can only admire the players for the ferocious intensity that they put into the game. It really was edge of the seat stuff. A lot of thier footballing counterparts could learn a thing or 2 from them. If the Tommy Walsh incident happened in a football match there'd be no such thing as getting straight back. it would be milked to the very last or at least until the sight of the red card appeared!!!

[EddieMerx]

Lads that decision cost Tipp the bloody game. a 21 yard free with 8 defenders on the line is not the same as a penalty. The ref cannot have had a good game with a decision like that. It was one of the worst calls I ever seen. I've watched it about 6 times now- and it was actually a free out.

Free in Indy, he was being dragged out of before he got into the box.  You must have lost big money on this game as you seem more upset about the result than most Tipp people I know. Tipp can't blame the Ref for this, they dominated KK for 60 minutes of the game and were unable to finish Kilkenny off.

[Aerlik]

I was along with several hundred Tipp, Kilkenny and (like myself) hurling fans from all over the planet (one S.African lad in a KK top with a boks jersey underneath) at the Irish Club in Perth last night.  Fantastic atmosphere there too.  What a game.  Until the red card there was little I could fault with the game.  The penalty wasn't. Period.

What a wonderful expose of all that is great about our national sport (apart from that loose pull  ).  How the Derry Co. board can't do more for the game baffles me. 

And to those in Derry who still support the burn the hurls brigade, I say watch that game again, cos I will be.

[Galwaybhoy]

A tremendous advertisement for hurling today, two wonderful teams going at it hammer and tongs, the difference was inches today and the difference maker was the best player on the field, the Kilkenny keeper, he was absolutely sublime and he was the difference maker in a game that seemed to be getting away from Kilkenny.

I have been on the batter all day long, I saw both games in Croker today and before the minor game started they showed an old AIF from the early seventies, the difference in technique was staggering, most of the boys from that era were one dimensional in that they hit the puck from one side only and not only that but they couldnt hit the puck as far nor were they as fit.

I am sure technology has changed the game a lot but these teams today would absolutely slaughter the teams from yesteryear.

Brilliant game today, a joy to watch and if the football can come close to that standard we are all in for a treat, congratulation KK but tipp to me, were the best team on the field today, they will be back and they will win the mccarthy next year in my opinion.

Tell that to Babs Keating!

[Galwaybhoy]

Lads that decision cost Tipp the bloody game. a 21 yard free with 8 defenders on the line is not the same as a penalty. The ref cannot have had a good game with a decision like that. It was one of the worst calls I ever seen. I've watched it about 6 times now- and it was actually a free out.

Free in Indy, he was being dragged out of before he got into the box.  You must have lost big money on this game as you seem more upset about the result than most Tipp people I know. Tipp can't blame the Ref for this, they dominated KK for 60 minutes of the game and were unable to finish Kilkenny off.

It was either a penalty (arm over shoulder right when he was inside the square) or a free out for steps.  Never a 21 yard free.  I think now (after looking at it over and over) that it was a free out.  I'm sure if a decision like that cost your team you'd blame the ref I know if it happened to Galway I would be fairly annoyed over it.

[AZOffaly]

Well done Kilkenny. We are privilaged to be living through this era for this team, just as our fathers and grandfathers had the Mackeys, Rings, Powers, Rackards, Kehers, Hendersons etc etc we will be passing tales of Shefflin, Walsh, Brennan and co down to our kids and grandkids. They are fantastic champions, in all senses of the word. They never mouth off, they are tough as nails but artists with the ball. Fair play to them.

That being said, maybe they are coming back to the pack a bit, or the leaders of that pack are getting closer to them. There's no doubt that for significant portions of that game yesterday, Tipp were the better team. They lived up to their own history and showed absolutely no fear of the Cats, and that game will stand to them. Last year I think Kilkenny would have murdered them in a final, especially at the level Kilkenny were operating at last year, and that would have set them back. This year Tipp will know they can beat Kilkenny, and will be really up for it again next year. Unless Kilkenny renew themselves (which they might), it looks set up for Tipp to take the mantle from Kilkenny.

A very good game (although not the classic that some people are saying, in my mind), and a fitting finale to the 125 celebrations, and once again well done Cats, the greatest hurling team I've ever seen.