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Galway will hope for spirit of 2012 but Kilkenny can prove too strong again

Brian Cody led Kilkenny to the All-Ireland with victory over Galway last September
Brian Cody led Kilkenny to the All-Ireland with victory over Galway last September Brian Cody led Kilkenny to the All-Ireland with victory over Galway last September

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship final: Kilkenny v Galway (tomorrow, 4pm, Croke Park, live on RTE2)

KILKENNY versus Tipperary may be the rivalry that defined most of the past decade, but the Cats’ clashes with Anthony Cunningham’s Galway have consistently illuminated Croke Park in recent years.

Cunningham may be gone from the Tribe hot seat, ousted following a bloodless coup and replaced by Micheal Donoghue, but that does little to take away from the feeling that tomorrow’s instalment of the saga between the counties will be anything other than a barn-burner.

History certainly suggests that will be the case, with Galway’s early blitzkrieg against Brian Cody’s all-conquering Cats in the 2012 provincial decider proving the firestarter for the enmity that exists between these two groups of players.

That day, the Tribe roared into a 1-6 to 0-0 lead just 18 minutes in, and finished the game comfortable 10-point winners. How Donoghue would love to mark his first year in charge with a similar show of strength at Croke Park tomorrow.

Of course, Kilkenny did what Kilkenny do and exacted revenge in the All-Ireland final later that year – albeit after a replay – and haven’t allowed Galway to gain the upper hand again.

They lost out after a replay in 2014, at the Leinster semi-final stage, but had looked in with a huge chance of putting that right in last September’s All-Ireland final.

Leading by three at half-time, it was make or break for Galway – and they blew it. As has been the tale of woe for so many counties through the Cody years, Galway just couldn’t match Kilkenny’s intensity after half-time and were blown out of the water.

A four point defeat ensured Cunningham’s last hurrah was a sorry one.

Back to the drawing board again under Clarinbridge native Donoghue, the Tribesmen haven’t exactly enjoyed a new boss bounce factor – although they can count themselves unlucky to have ended up facing Division 1B hurling next year

Despite winning one game (against Cork) and drawing two (against Waterford and Tipperary), finishing with four points, they lost the relegation play-off to the basement-dwelling Rebels.

Their first half performance against Kilkenny at Nowlan Park won’t have done much to inspire confidence either, as they trailed by nine points.

Donoghue, in fairness, changed things about at half-time, bringing Joe Canning out to midfield, switching David Burke to centre-back and moving Daithi Burke into full-back. They rallied after the break and ended up losing by four, but there were some positives to be taken.

It is hard to read too much into Galway’s provincial semi-final win over Offaly as they got the job done with little fuss, and little sparkle.

Kilkenny, on the other hand, had to dig deeper to see off Dublin. Once again, they came on strong after the break to pull away, but there are still those – not just Ger Loughnane – who doubt the Cats’ ability to lift Liam MacCarthy again this year.

A chastening 4-22 to 2-19 League semi-final defeat to hotly-tipped Clare raised even more eyebrows, but Cody has been here many times before. Written off in the spring, champions in September.

They may not quite possess the pizzazz of some of the teams from yesteryear, but there is still plenty to fear from Kilkenny.

Their forward strength is well documented, with the deadly TJ Reid still the leader of Cody’s men, and concerns were voiced last year about the loss of JJ Delaney at full-back. Joey Holden has filled that gap impressively.

At midfield, Conor Fogarty and Michael Fennelly are, on their day, as good as any other central pairing around. Kilkenny are, as Loughnane said, “functional” – but brilliantly functional.

Galway, under new management, are a work in progress. They have been boosted by the availability of forward Conor Cooney after the Tribesmen successfully appealed his straight red card against the Faithful.

But hopes of an early lightning strike to stun the Cats, a la 2012, appear slim. A one-point win would do for Donoghue, but it is difficult to make a case for anything other than a third provincial title in-a-row for Kilkenny.