Kilkenny v Tipp

[Milltown Row2]

Thats the most nonsensical reasoning Ive heard right there.

I know, never heard the likes of it, Kerr weren't favourites at the start of the year and Kilkenny were well written off. Must be on his period.

Joyce for me anyways was clearly MOM his fielding and sheer fecking determination was immense. To be told you are playing centre half in all Ireland final during the week and not played as many championship games for Kilkenny must have scared the life out of some players but he different gravy yesterday as were all the defenders in Kilkenny tops. Fair play Tipp they had their chance but not too many teams beat Kilkenny and Cody a second time round

[orangeman]

It's interesting how after so many teams win that the motivation provided by pundits and journalists etc emerges -

Cody after yesterday's win :

Manager Brian Cody rounded on critics of his ageing Kilkenny defence and, in particular, of full-back JJ Delaney after the Cats' 2-17 to 2-14 victory over Tipperary in the All-Ireland SHC final replay at Croke Park.
Cody's 10th All-Ireland success as manager will ultimately be remembered as the one when Henry Shefflin entered the history books as a 10-time winning player.
But Cody admitted one of the game's defining moments was actually 32-year old defender Delaney's 18th minute hook on Seamus Callanan.
Full-forward Callanan still finished with 2-05 but Delaney's last-gasp hook averted a goal concession at a crucial stage of the game.
Ironically, pundits had suggested that several of Kilkenny's thirty-something defenders, including Delaney, may be past their best after last year's early Championship exit.
"As we're so often told, our defenders are very, very slow and for JJ Delaney, who's meant to be old and beat at this stage and can't run, to get back and hook a player who, in your (the media's) opinion, and who is actually a speed merchant. Look we work a lot on speed to keep them quick," said Cody.
"You'd want to know what you're writing about when you're writing those things before you slaughter them. You'd want to realise it doesn't work like that."
Cody said his team's defending generally "was absolutely magnificent" though inevitably much of the post-match discussion centred on Shefflin's remarkable achievement.

[Kidder81]

Cody does come across as a bit of a bully when he is being interviewed.

Why not rise above it ?

[gallsman]

He did. All year. Now he's fully vindicated (as if he needed to be) he can put people back in their place.

Callanan may have scored 2-05 (first goal was all Lar, second a freak ricochet. Were all the points frees?) but JJ won their battle hands down. Exceptional hurler and who'd bet against him matching Henry's haul?

[seafoid]

Tipp went for the throat in the first half when simple tap over points were on. Instead of taking the easy score they ran into one of hardest hitting, tigerish defences around and the chances disappeared quickly. Tipp could have gone in at half time 5/6 points up.

KK came out and went 5-0 up. When Tipp got a lucky break in the form of the dubious penalty, when only 2 points down, there seemed to be a preordained decision to go for the point. The decision to go for the point instead of the goal will be one of things that will exercise the minds of the Tipp players, management and supporters. Had Tipp gone into a 1 point lead at that stage, who knows ?. As I said last week, small margins.

That said KK were by far the better team in the 2nd half and Cody's big calls before the game and during it, won the game for KK. Tipp's heavy hitters of the last day were well quelled and KK's defence were tighter and meaner than the last day.

Cody celebrated today like it was the first. Most expect that it's the end of the road for a few of these KK greats.

But spare a thought for a gallant Tipp team who will get over the line in the next few years.

Great year for hurling again.

There was a cameo halfway through the second half where Tipp had a chance for a point and spent too much time foostering and KK got the ball and drove it over the bar.
If Joe Canning had been born on the other side of the Shannon he would have scored the penalty for Tipp .
KK marginally better. Felt sorry for the Tipp goalie. He was immense.

I dunno how much more mileage those Cats players have.
I was looking at Kilkenny people in Croker wondering what it must be like to be from a county that has won 10 all Irelands in 15 years.
And then you think of the counties that have never won anything.

The ould fella had an interesting snippet. Is it true or not? He said Kilkenny is the only county that doesn't have a branch of Comhaltas.
And the Rose of Mooncoin is really shit - surely they could do better to mark such a level of perfection. 

Lookit Marty's interview with Mr and Mrs Shefflin was interesting too. The father in law who gave his consent to the union provided it didn't interfere with his hurling.  Class.     

[theskull1]

Watched the game again there today. Unclear how the MOTM was choosen. Joyce did nothing wrong and produced the best catch of the game in the first half but wasnt in play often enough to stand out. Michael Fennelly, Paudraig Walsh & Conor Fogarty were the power houses for me. Buckley as well had some game. Up front Tipp just we'rent at the races second half. How much that was KK and how much it was Tipp its hard to say but they didnt look as if they wanted it the same as the cats.

The honesty of effort and tactical simplicity of the cats is amazing. You can't help but love them 

[seafoid]

Watched the game again there today. Unclear how the MOTM was choosen. Joyce did nothing wrong and produced the best catch of the game in the first half but wasnt in play often enough to stand out. Michael Fennelly, Paudraig Walsh & Conor Fogarty were the power houses for me. Buckley as well had some game. Up front Tipp just we'rent at the races second half. How much that was KK and how much it was Tipp its hard to say but they didnt look as if they wanted it the same as the cats.

The honesty of effort and tactical simplicity of the cats is amazing. You can't help but love them

Two of the tipp ff line were subbed which said a lot. Bonner couldn't get the runs going.
The hooking and blocking of the KK backs was exceptional.
But Tipp beat the cats when it REALLY mattered in 2010.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k38XD4dYMY

[orangeman]

Watched the game again there today. Unclear how the MOTM was choosen. Joyce did nothing wrong and produced the best catch of the game in the first half but wasnt in play often enough to stand out. Michael Fennelly, Paudraig Walsh & Conor Fogarty were the power houses for me. Buckley as well had some game. Up front Tipp just we'rent at the races second half. How much that was KK and how much it was Tipp its hard to say but they didnt look as if they wanted it the same as the cats.

The honesty of effort and tactical simplicity of the cats is amazing. You can't help but love them

You'd like Paul Murphy on your team. Brave as hell and can hurl a bit.

[Asal Mor]

A lot IMO will depend on the style of refereeing, if its let go into an abrasive battle, then Kilkenny will probably come out on top, but if we get a few early frees setting the tone of how the tackle is to be allowed then I can see a far more open contest, probably favouring Tipp, if its the same Tipp that played Cork, that is.

My gut still says Kilkenny though, but then again I need a dose of epsom salts...

This was a very good call from Johnney before the first game. Donal Og did a great little piece on the spare arm tackle on TSG last night, and showed how much Brian Gavin let go. It definitely suited Kilkenny, and JJ and Jackie in particular.

[Asal Mor]

I dunno how much more mileage those Cats players have.

It's always evolving though. Eoin Larkin recently turned 30 but the only other 30+ players who started are JJ and Jackie. Lots of young lads on that team. Galway have more 30 year olds in their team than Kilkenny do.

You're right about the Rose of Mooncoin though. It's embarrassing.

[imtommygunn]

Paul Murphy is only 25. Richie Hogan isn't that old either. Tyrrel, Delaney and Brian Hogan would really be the main older guard though did I read Joyce was 32?

They'll be around for a while yet I suspect. I would expect to see JJ get 10 too. I think Henry will likely retire - be interesting to see what Tommy Walsh does too.

Tipp's oldest is likely Corbett isn't it? Most of them will have a good few years in them yet.

Team of the year a bit heavy on KK and Tipp players.

[seafoid]

I dunno how much more mileage those Cats players have.

It's always evolving though. Eoin Larkin recently turned 30 but the only other 30+ players who started are JJ and Jackie. Lots of young lads on that team. Galway have more 30 year olds in their team than Kilkenny do.

You're right about the Rose of Mooncoin though. It's embarrassing.

the drive is hard to keep going. Barca couldn't do it. Man Utd couldn't do it.
Kk had 2 draws this year and with another ref Tipp could have won. The gap is narrower than it was 6 years ago.

[johnneycool]

A lot IMO will depend on the style of refereeing, if its let go into an abrasive battle, then Kilkenny will probably come out on top, but if we get a few early frees setting the tone of how the tackle is to be allowed then I can see a far more open contest, probably favouring Tipp, if its the same Tipp that played Cork, that is.

My gut still says Kilkenny though, but then again I need a dose of epsom salts...

This was a very good call from Johnney before the first game. Donal Og did a great little piece on the spare arm tackle on TSG last night, and showed how much Brian Gavin let go. It definitely suited Kilkenny, and JJ and Jackie in particular.

Mick Kavanagh gave a very good insight into this as well, the KK defenders will work out quite quickly what certain referees are prepared to allow and play accordingly, there's no doubt in my mind they're briefed before the game on the do's and don'ts once the referee is known and they have it down to a fine art and if they're concerned, Eddie Keher or someone will be despatched to the press with a tale of the manliness of the game being eroded.

Brian Gavin lets a fair bit of the pulling and tugging go to be seen as letting the game flow, but there comes a point where the rules are being broken and the referee has to call it and give it irrespective of what the general populace want or it'll descend into rollerball (showing my age here) on grass.
There's nothing manly about pulling a mans arm as they're attempting to strike the ball, purely cynical stuff and needs stopped by consistent punishment by the referees no matter who they are. Yes we'll possibly get a few shitty stop start games before players and management react accordingly, but the end product will be better.

As for the game itself, whilst it wasn't the free scoring fest of three weeks ago, the flicks, blocks, hooks, catches were fantastic where the defences came out on top, plus the amount of pressure the KK forwards exerted on the Tipp backs at times was unreal, several times Paudie Maher was forced into losing possession before he could get his head up to find a Tipp forward with the same level of accuracy he did the previous day.

Cody had his homework done, picked horses for courses, Joyce nullifying the bonner Maher and initially Colin Fennelly hounded Paudie Maher down any time he got on the ball and took him out of the game.
Those were the rocks Tipp perished on and apart from Noel McGrath rattling over a few good points early in the first half the Tipp forwards were suffocated and starved of possession with Lar and a few others not troubling the scoreboard for long durations.

Tipp can be proud of this years recovery from the doldrums, but not landing the big one will still rankle and the failings of too few forwards able to win the dirty ball is their Achilles heel. Address that and they'll be hard to work with.

One thing of note, the fine elbow delivered by Richie Power just as the ball was dropping to allow the catch that set up his goal, Sambo McNaughton was also a fine exponent of such skill.

[theskull1]

You'd have to question Tipps tactics up front on Sat. It was obvious that they were told to drop the shoulder and go for the jugular.  As a result on several occasions they took low percentage options doing this when an easy point was there for the taking, so even when they found space they played into KK's hands and were swamped out of it. You can understand the psychology of this tactic but its wasn't nuanced enough on the day. Taking the handy point when the space was there and keeping the scoreboard ticking over especially first half would have pushed KK out the field a bit and made a bit more space for their inside line.

[orangeman]

Cody not pulling any punches in this interview. He's his own man, that's for sure.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/cody-puts-referee-kelly-and-former-kilkenny-greats-in-his-crosshairs-289094.html