Iâd only be largely speculating based on typical trends.
Tullogher, Rower/Inistioge and Glenmore would all fairly solidly go to Good Counsel in New Ross. I know for certain that Walter Walsh went to Good Counsel, possibly Eoin Murphy and Kieran Joyce as well.
Michael Malone, Mullinavat was wearing Number 26 yesterday - Mullinavat would largely go to De La Salle in Waterford.
Just looking at the programme for yesterday and the clubs of the 26, doesnât seem to be anyone for ColĂĄiste Ăamann RĂs in Callan.
Kilkenny CBS is typically a feeder school for Dicksboro but Cillian Buckley went to Kieranâs. Kilkenny CBS would also get a reasonable amount from Clara and OâLoughlin Gaels, so some of Shane Prendergast, Conor OâShea, Lester Ryan and Mark Bergin possibly alumni there.
Castlecomer wouldnât send as many into Kieranâs as most other parts of rural Kilkenny, so possibly Conor Fogarty went to Castlecomer Community School.
What was remarkable about yesterdays win for me was again how âpoorâ the ball into the Tipperary forwards was. Sky ball between the forward and the back and it was up to them to win it. It was a beautifully simple game plan. It saves the world of pricking about with the ball as well and immediately transfers the ball into the oppositions danger zone.
It reinforces the fact for me that the ability to win your own ball should be the number one
pre-requisite for an intercounty forward the fact that Limericks forwards are completely lacking in this department is our number one issue. It can be worked on though. A lot of time Tipperary scored from turnovers in KKâs defence, winning âruck ballâ etc. Itâs work rate and mindset essentially in combination with some strength & fitness work. Callinan was never a man for the dirty ball until the last few years. Itâs something you can coach and improve on. Tipps forwards work rate yesterday was unbelievable, they matched and surpassed KKâs intensity and then had the players with the skill to capitalise. Incredibly impressive.
Itâs a simple game. Defence starts at number 15. A forward has to tackle a back in possession as if itâs the other way round. The 2014 Tipp game was the closest we came to it.
Nothing worse for a back then winning a ball, and see his forward line not being bothered to fight for it at the other end.
Joyce went to GCC alright, as did his younger brother Darragh now heading to oz. Murphy went to the vocational school in Ross. Michael (Iâm assuming you meant?) Malone went to GCC too, a good few Vegas lads go to GCC still. Willie Dwyer, Walter Burke and current up and coming star John Walsh all went there too.
Strip away all the media brown nosing of Cody and the aura around him, this is a distinctly average Kilkenny side. It is a tribute to Codyâs powers that he brought them so close to 3 in a row. Limerick should have taken them out in 2014, Waterford in this yearâs semi and even Galway in last yearâs final, but they forgot to come out for the second half. Three of their back line - Joey Holden, Shane Prendergast and Kieran Joyce have had serious question marks over them for a while, but were largely getting away with it - all were destroyed yesterday, as was the normally excellent Paul Murphy. Conor Fogarty didnât look too hectic without Mick Fennelly there to mind him. Thereâs plenty of size in the forward line, but a lack of guile. Eoin Larkin at this stage in his great career would be better served coming on as a sub, like he did with telling effect in the drawn semi final against Waterford, but because of the lack of options he was starting. TJ Reid by his standards has had a poor year. I thought just looking at him warm up in front of me before the start of the match yesterday that he looks a bit bulkier this year with a corresponding loss in dexterity and movement. @caoimhaoin would be best placed to comment on such matters.
Kilkenny didnât have a sub to throw on until nearly the hour mark and when they did throw on a few subs it was Lester Ryan and Robert Lennon, neither really game changers. The entire full back line was taken apart but none of them were taken off. The full back line cover was a 34 year, injury blighted Jackie Tyrrell. They didnât bring on a sub in the forwards. Not exactly a ringing endorsement from Cody of John Power and Jonjo Farrell. Ger Aylward was a big loss this year.
Most inter-county players now are in the 20-25 age bracket. The Kilkenny U21âs lost to Westmeath this year and to Wexford in 2013, 2014 & 2015 (heavily by double digit scores in 2014 & 2015). Evidently thereâs not a lot of quality in Kilkenny at the moment in the 20-25 age bracket. Their breakthrough player in 2015 was a then 29 year old Shane Prendergast and this year they gave first championship starts to a pair of 27 year olds Jonjo Farrell and Mark Bergin, both of whom were shortly thereafter dropped and not even seen as subs.
Kilkenny are Kilkenny, they will come again. St Kieranâs brought up a three in a row this year in the Colleges. Itâll take a few years though. I donât see Kilkenny winning an All Ireland senior in the next five years.
Apparently the kk forward line scored 1-2 from play yesterday, whilst the Tipp forward line got 2-21.
Did anyone else think that (whilst he actually had a good and fair game yesterday, and congratulations to him for that), Brian gavin let an awful lot of full frontal rugby tackling go?
They knew he would, and they made hay. Hark back to 87, and once T Murray was announced as ref, the dogs on the street knew there was going to be blood.
Serious amount of Tipp roasters outside the Palace Bar in Fleet St - the bang is incredible. Alright sort Nicky English, face flushed and clutching a pint of stout, did call me back to say I dropped a fiver on my ramble
There was one in particular where Joyce bear-hugged a Tipperary forward that ran into him that I was sure heâd have to blow for, but aside from that he was reasonably consistent in how he reffed it, if anything I felt KK were marginally more hard done by overall. He doesnât ref to the rulebook, but few enough of them do.
On balance, once I removed my blinkers, Iâd actually agree that if anything his laissez faire attitude favoured Tipp on the day that was in it. He didntbliw for full frontal double arm tackles on many occasions
