The key to Galway winning this game is the battle that will take place between P Walsh, K Joyce, C Buckley and our half forward line of Glynn, Donnellan and Smith.
If we can influence the play in this area and pressure the KK backs into delivering poor ball then Harte, David Burke and possibly Joe Cooney could be in a position to create or take scores.
I assume Wally Walsh is below G Aylward in the pecking order at this stage and may lose out to a fit R Power.
Not convinced about Aylward yet…
Colin Fennelly will get back in somewhere too. I’ve no idea how bad their injuries are.
Joyce, Buckley and Walsh would respectively match up well to Glynn, Donnellan and Smith you’d think. Joyce appeared to be playing wing back the other day.
I’d say the more crucial line will be our full backs against Mannion, Flynn and Canning.
I was a bit apprehensive about him starting at the weekend but he mugged me off, good and proper. I’ll reserve final judgement until he does it consistently and against stronger teams.
Cody was very keen on him last year until he fucked both his ankles up.
There’ll always be a PR role for him there though if he doesn’t make it on the team
Agree but only if quality ball goes into them. Too many times in the past no ball has gone in there or high ‘no hope’ balls have gone in there. Mannion will only thrive on good ball, give him high ball in and Tyrell will clean up all day.
Is Ritchie Power back for this?
Problem we have is a full back line and specifically a full back going into this entirely untested. Im not a believer in hanbury and if coen is not played as a sweeper we are fucked, hes no man marker. Kilkenny are also too strong at midfield with fennelly flying it and collins has underperformed this year in that line. We’re still too inclined just to drive it which wont do here, have to use it wisely. We’ll battle but when tan smith and more run out of steam we’ve little on the bench for the last 20, we’ll lose this, beat cork narrowly in the qualifiers then tipp will do us in the semis handy enough.
This would seem the most likely outcome to me as well. As long as we go down fighting that’s good enough,and you never do know.
That attitude wont do lads. Time to sow it into these cunts and beat them by 5/6 points.
This is set up for Galway. Having scraped through to force a replay the first day against Dublin they are now a side brimming with confidence and belief. Granted having dished out a reality check to Laois last time we face the ultimate reality check ourselves the next day but Wexford threw in the towel against Kilkenny and based on our increased workrate all over the pitch this year Kilkenny will struggle to engineer as many goal chances against us. Needless to say if we can’t stop Kilkenny scoring goals we are fucked.
Aylward might well have shot his load for the year in Nowlan Park, he’s lost his surprise factor now at any rate. Cody will be reminding Walter Walsh that Galway are his favorite team but our lads won’t even need reminding. Ritchie Hogan is the main man for the cats these days and stopping him in his tracks will be key. He’ll scoot by Iarla all day long so I’d have Collins or even Smith earmarked to nullify his threat.
Our distribution into the forwards has clearly improved this year and it will have to again next time. We know what they are capable of given decent ball. Having Glynn in there specifically work the dirty ball has freed up our dependence on Joe and allowed him to do his own thing and we are seeing the fruits of that. The encouraging performance levels of Donnellan this year have made up for the loss of Conor Cooney. If Flynn isn’t fit I’d love to see a starting role given to Glennon, no better man(Smith aside) to get inside Kilkennys skin. I’d be more worried about Smith or Tannion getting red cards than getting tired, you know well KK will be targeting them, Tan in particular as per usual.
No reason not to approach this one with confidence. I think it may well be a classic. Galway are hurling well and are big outsiders going into this whereas Kilkenny might be a little undercooked. Ideal
Galway to win by 5-6 points.
Kilkenny don’t have a proven full back in Holden so I’d be worried about him. It would be good to get Richie Power back as Big Walter is a pile of shite. As @Fran said, Awlyard has to put another good performance in against better opposition.
If Canning stays in on the edge of the square we’re in trouble.
Galway by 4
Ya Holden could be a problem when tested, K Joyce for me is capable of doing damage all on his own too. Aylward and Wally will be targeted by Galway foolishly and the likes of C Fennelly and TJ will clean up. R Hogan can’t be kept quite so ye’ll just have to put up with that but if Galway can attack the weak Kilkenny back six it’ll be an easy win for the Westerners.
The worry for Kilkenny has to be on the law of averages he’s due an off day. If its happens Sunday week it could get really ugly for Kilkenny.
Richie Hogan doesnt do off days in fairness to him.
Has the makings of a high scoring game with both sets of back yet to be tested properly.
The only off day that I can remember in recent times was lasts years AI replay… that Kilkenny won
David Collins out for Sundays game with a hamstring. We could have done with his experience in the back line against KK… that said he wasn’t hurling well.
Have you seen the big lug playing FB for Galway?
Don’t mind who’s lining out. As with all kk games the most important question is who’s reffing it ?