LIMERICK BOSS TJ Ryan would rather look forward to Sunday’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final with Kilkenny than dwell on previous encounters with the 34-time Liam MacCarthy winners.
Kilkenny ran out seven-point victors when the pair met in the 2007 final and had eight to spare when they met in the 2012 quarter-final.
Ryan, though, believes both results are irrelevant to this weekend’s encounter.
“Look, I don’t know [if Sunday is more a battle of equals] that’s got to wait to be seen.
“Maybe it is but if you take last year out of Kilkenny’s form, it’s impeccable.
“This year they’ve been very good. They won the Leinster final. Beat the Leinster champions comfortably enough, back in the semi-final. Back to their old usual tricks and back in an All-Ireland semi-final.
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“I don’t know, I think both teams have changed a lot since [previous meetings].
“Everything will be referenced but I’m hoping that going to Croke Park last year and the experiences of last year, winning the Munster Championship, this year as well, drawing on everything that has happened so far.
“I don’t really look back too much, even with this team, at history. We’re trying to create our own history. This is a different team, a different entity.
“I see what you’re saying maybe in terms of belief and maybe Kilkenny had that bit of awe about them.
“This is a little bit different from our point of view. We believe this is a team going places. This is a team that has got a lot of things to prove to a lot of different people and we feel that basically we can go and do that.”
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
And how do you go about beating a side like Kilkenny? Goals, goals, goals.
“Getting goals is an aim every day.
“You see in games, when you’re on top and you have your momentum, if you score three or four points and get a lead it’s great.
“But when you get one or two goals – and especially Kilkenny, they’ve been really good at that in the past – when they’re on top, they get one or two goals and push that game, make it really hard for the opposition.”
Another area where Ryan believes the 2013 Munster champions can dominate is in the physical battle but the Garryspillane man is not kidding himself that Sunday is a game people expect his side to win.
“Kilkenny are still 4/9 in Paddy Power, like. Do you know what I’m saying?
“I’d back myself and our team in battles all over the pitch whether it’s physicality, hurling, pace.
“I think this team has been around the block a while, a couple of years on the go now so I think the experience of last year will stand to them.
“I thought we’ve hurled really well in all the games we’ve played this year in the championship. I think we’re on an upward curve here.
“At the same time, I fully understand we’re playing a team that’s been the best team over the last decade without a doubt.
“They’re really good, have the best manager, some of the best players that ever hurled.
'We’re trying to create our own history' - TJ Ryan won't look to the past to beat Kilkenny
LIMERICK BOSS TJ Ryan would rather look forward to Sunday’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final with Kilkenny than dwell on previous encounters with the 34-time Liam MacCarthy winners.
Kilkenny ran out seven-point victors when the pair met in the 2007 final and had eight to spare when they met in the 2012 quarter-final.
Ryan, though, believes both results are irrelevant to this weekend’s encounter.
“Look, I don’t know [if Sunday is more a battle of equals] that’s got to wait to be seen.
“Maybe it is but if you take last year out of Kilkenny’s form, it’s impeccable.
“This year they’ve been very good. They won the Leinster final. Beat the Leinster champions comfortably enough, back in the semi-final. Back to their old usual tricks and back in an All-Ireland semi-final.
“I don’t know, I think both teams have changed a lot since [previous meetings].
“Everything will be referenced but I’m hoping that going to Croke Park last year and the experiences of last year, winning the Munster Championship, this year as well, drawing on everything that has happened so far.
“I see what you’re saying maybe in terms of belief and maybe Kilkenny had that bit of awe about them.
“This is a little bit different from our point of view. We believe this is a team going places. This is a team that has got a lot of things to prove to a lot of different people and we feel that basically we can go and do that.”
And how do you go about beating a side like Kilkenny? Goals, goals, goals.
“You see in games, when you’re on top and you have your momentum, if you score three or four points and get a lead it’s great.
“But when you get one or two goals – and especially Kilkenny, they’ve been really good at that in the past – when they’re on top, they get one or two goals and push that game, make it really hard for the opposition.”
Another area where Ryan believes the 2013 Munster champions can dominate is in the physical battle but the Garryspillane man is not kidding himself that Sunday is a game people expect his side to win.
“Kilkenny are still 4/9 in Paddy Power, like. Do you know what I’m saying?
“I think this team has been around the block a while, a couple of years on the go now so I think the experience of last year will stand to them.
“I thought we’ve hurled really well in all the games we’ve played this year in the championship. I think we’re on an upward curve here.
“At the same time, I fully understand we’re playing a team that’s been the best team over the last decade without a doubt.
“They’re really good, have the best manager, some of the best players that ever hurled.
“I’m under no illusions there.”
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