EOIN Larkin admits that going into battle without the injured Michael Fennelly is a “savage loss”, but the Kilkenny veteran believes the champions’ panel is strong enough to cope ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC final.
The Cats clash with Tipperary in a decider for the fifth time in eight years – or the sixth time, counting the 2014 final replay.
However, Brian Cody will be without 2011 Hurler of the Year Fennelly as he was struck down with an Achilles injury during Kilkenny’s semi-final replay win over Waterford.
The 31-year-old three-time All Star was back to his towering best during that game before being forced to leave the field, although Kilkenny made a mockery of theories that their panel is not as strong as it once was with debutants Mark Bergin and Liam Blanchfield starring against the Decies as Cody made three changes to his starting line-up from their drawn encounter.
Cats forward Larkin was the third change that day, regaining his starting place. And while he acknowledged the loss of his fellow veteran Fennelly as a huge blow, the 32-year-old attacker maintained that Cody’s panel has the talent to cope.
“He is a huge loss – he is after having a great year. He was having a fantastic day the last day and then he pulled up, but we have seen it so many times over the last few years. He is going to be a savage loss,” admitted Larkin.
“Obviously, no-one wants to be missing an All-Ireland final. It is just bad luck he is out, but we have a strong panel there and there will be guys who will be looking to put their hand up, and get the jersey. One man’s loss is another man’s gain and someone will hopefully stand up to it.
"Hopefully it can happen again – [you] have a good game and [you] could be here for a couple of years and I presume that is what players will be thinking.”
Larkin, himself a two-time All Star and the 2008 Hurler of the Year, was dropped for the Cats’ drawn encounter with Waterford, but regained his spot for the replay despite Cody naming a team without him before the game.
However, Larkin claims he has never considered a Kilkenny jersey to be his to keep. “I never looked at it as I lost it - I never had it in the first place,” said Larkin.
“Brian always pick the team on training and my form wasn’t good at the time so I knew I had to fight my way back and thankfully I got on the last day and done okay. It’s just a matter of putting your head down, working hard and seeing where it takes you.”
Larkin had already faced a battle in more ways than one to assert himself in the Cats’ set-up due to his professional role with the Irish Defence Forces as he opted to go on a peace-keeping mission in Syria from October last year until April.
“I was gone for six months, I didn’t expect to come back and just walk back into things. I know when I came back I had to work hard, gather a bit of form – it didn’t happen straight away,” explained Larkin, who was based in an area known as Golan Heights.
"It is not in a good state now compared to what it used to be like,” said Larkin of his experience.
“What it is like now – it is in ruins. If you go into any housing estate here, look at all the children playing, yet when you go over there, it’s a total different kettle of fish.
“It was more challenging that my previous tour because when I was in Kosovo, the war had finished. They were just rebuilding their lives. Things are still going out there, not as bad as they were.”
While the bookies are finding it hard to call the final, Kilkenny are chasing yet another trio of title on the spin, while Tipperary are seeking to a six-year barren spell since their 2010 win. Tipp have lost two finals and two semi-finals in the past six years, with three of those defeats coming against their arch-rivals, but Larkin was reluctant to agree with the notion that the Premier will be the hungrier side.
“Brian has the best ability just to park last year and move on and just live in the now,” he added.
“When you go training in January, last year is forgotten and we’re focusing on training in the present and moving forwards and All-Ireland."
