One thing you can count on is that Kilkenny simply don’t lose tight games.
Brian Cody’s empire have only lost one championship game by three points or less since 2004. That was a three point defeat to Dublin in the 2013 Leinster semi-final, the only year in the last five that they failed to finish up as as All-Ireland champions.
When Kilkenny are beaten in championships of recent vintage, it’s usually a blow-out win for their conquerors. Cork beat then by five in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final, while Galway dished out a 10-point pasting in the Leinster final of 2012.
Their opponents in next month’s final, Tipperary, dashed Kilkenny’s five-in-a-row hopes to the tune of an eight point win in 2010.
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But when the game is hanging in the balance, Kilkenny can go to the well like no other team we’ve ever witnessed. They are masters of pulling the game out of the fire.
Here’s what it all means: don’t leave Kilkenny still breathing in the dying minutes, or they’ll smell blood and go for the jugular.
“We always know we have the ability to close out games,” confirmed Cillian Buckley on Saturday night. “We have serious leaders there and we have lads putting up their hands, Liam Blanchfield caught a ball there at the edge of the square with a few minutes to go and won a free.
“Then we’ve Eoin Murphy down the far end, I still don’t know how he took the ball down from over the bar so we know we have those leaders around the field but look it was tight, we could still be out there playing extra time.
“There’s nothing between the two teams and we just had that extra bit at the end and came out the right side of the result.”
Then Buckley gave a brief insight into why Kilkenny just keep winning. Their mentality.
“It’s surreal, the emotions inside. No doubt we’ve more work to do, it’s only a semi-final. We’re brought straight down to earth to know that the job is not done but at the same time we’re after overcoming a big step there today.
“We were tested in all sectors and it’s great to come out the right side of that but as I say, definitely more work to do but we’ll enjoy that one too. We can give ourselves a pat on the back to get over a serious test from Waterford.
“The next three weeks, although it’s tough and we’ve loads of work to do, it’s really enjoyable preparing for an All-Ireland final, it’s absolutely brilliant.
“We’re going to have a serious challenge, we’ve more work to do and we’ll get down to it during the week, we’ll enjoy today but there’s no doubt there’s room for improvement but preparing for an All-Ireland final is absolutely savage.”
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'We always know we have the ability to close out games' - Cillian Buckley
FEW THINGS ARE certain in this life.
One thing you can count on is that Kilkenny simply don’t lose tight games.
Brian Cody’s empire have only lost one championship game by three points or less since 2004. That was a three point defeat to Dublin in the 2013 Leinster semi-final, the only year in the last five that they failed to finish up as as All-Ireland champions.
When Kilkenny are beaten in championships of recent vintage, it’s usually a blow-out win for their conquerors. Cork beat then by five in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final, while Galway dished out a 10-point pasting in the Leinster final of 2012.
Their opponents in next month’s final, Tipperary, dashed Kilkenny’s five-in-a-row hopes to the tune of an eight point win in 2010.
But when the game is hanging in the balance, Kilkenny can go to the well like no other team we’ve ever witnessed. They are masters of pulling the game out of the fire.
Here’s what it all means: don’t leave Kilkenny still breathing in the dying minutes, or they’ll smell blood and go for the jugular.
“We always know we have the ability to close out games,” confirmed Cillian Buckley on Saturday night. “We have serious leaders there and we have lads putting up their hands, Liam Blanchfield caught a ball there at the edge of the square with a few minutes to go and won a free.
“Then we’ve Eoin Murphy down the far end, I still don’t know how he took the ball down from over the bar so we know we have those leaders around the field but look it was tight, we could still be out there playing extra time.
“There’s nothing between the two teams and we just had that extra bit at the end and came out the right side of the result.”
Then Buckley gave a brief insight into why Kilkenny just keep winning. Their mentality.
“It’s surreal, the emotions inside. No doubt we’ve more work to do, it’s only a semi-final. We’re brought straight down to earth to know that the job is not done but at the same time we’re after overcoming a big step there today.
“We were tested in all sectors and it’s great to come out the right side of that but as I say, definitely more work to do but we’ll enjoy that one too. We can give ourselves a pat on the back to get over a serious test from Waterford.
“The next three weeks, although it’s tough and we’ve loads of work to do, it’s really enjoyable preparing for an All-Ireland final, it’s absolutely brilliant.
“We’re going to have a serious challenge, we’ve more work to do and we’ll get down to it during the week, we’ll enjoy today but there’s no doubt there’s room for improvement but preparing for an All-Ireland final is absolutely savage.”
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