WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 25/08/2016 22:24:09    1906124

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 25/08/2016 22:30:14    1906126

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 27/08/2016 14:49:36    1906655

Anyone think this might be a good bit short of a sell out crowd? From what I've seen/heard, the build up has been muted, but its hard to really tell from where I am. The crowds at the hurling games this year haven't been great in general, I have a feeling this one could be 2 or 3 thousand less than capacity. Is that likely? Hope I'm wrong

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 29/08/2016 19:18:59    1907782

How are ye finding the ticket situation ?

therealtmo (Tipperary) - Posts: 1292 - 29/08/2016 19:40:40    1907789

Stand tickets seem to be short I've been in the stand for years only getting offered terrace now.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 29/08/2016 23:53:38    1907893

Gavin as ref is a definite plus for Kilkenny in my opinion.
KK to shade it.

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 30/08/2016 11:28:48    1908006

KK by one, I wonder will they have 2 mins of extra time like in the Galway/Tipp game or 6 or 7 like the other big games of the Summer?

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1196 - 30/08/2016 12:28:22    1908039

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 30/08/2016 13:54:41    1908098

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1196 - 30/08/2016 14:45:00    1908136

GameOfTyrones (Tyrone) - Posts: 469 - 30/08/2016 15:38:46    1908172

suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1669 - 30/08/2016 16:08:58    1908197

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 30/08/2016 16:38:11    1908211

How are ye finding the ticket situation ?

therealtmo (Tipperary) - Posts:1106 - 29/08/2016 19:40:40 1

seems ok got got few easy enough (club members/coaches) - think they will be plentiful come weekend - i dont think it will completely sell out - hope im wrong

janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 30/08/2016 16:52:07    1908230

therealtmo - certainly in limerick there is no where near the same hype/demand for tickets as the 2014 final when we were also in minor final

janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 30/08/2016 16:55:17    1908233

I think Bubbles absolutely has to start for Tipp. He is far more dangerous than O'Meara and what good is an impact sub if its too late to make an impact. If Tipp start a full forward line of John McGrath, Callanan and Bubbles and they are all firing well I think Tipp can win this one. They'll need goals, but they are more than capable of that.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 30/08/2016 19:47:58    1908332

Hello fellow enthusiasts! Going to ask the question nobody has asked yet.....

Will the replay be in 3 weeks if it ends up level again?

Barry91 (Laois) - Posts: 2 - 31/08/2016 10:10:31    1908538

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1743 - 31/08/2016 10:52:37    1908562

A limited amount of terrace tickets (Nally) have gone on-sale online: link

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 31/08/2016 11:11:43    1908581

I think I say this before every AI Final but I'm not optimistic. Looking at it from a simplistic point of view, Tipp obliterated a team that we needed two matches to scrape past. That line of form alone would suggest Tipp should be favourites. The only thing is that Waterford threw in the towel in the second half of that Munster final and Tipp were able to rack up the scores easily. I'm certain that Kilkenny, even if they're playing badly or getting well beaten, would not chuck it in like that. I don't think the players would dare go back into a Brian Cody dressing room having not left everything on the pitch.

Re team selection, Michael Fennelly's absence is a massive blow. He's such a big game player and he always seems to play well against Tipp. He's been severely hampered by injury and his performance in the first game v Waterford was very poor, but he was really coming into form in the replay before his injury struck.

With Fennelly out, I think Fogarty will have to come back into midfield, and I think Kieran Joyce will need to be recalled to CB. I'm not sure how Joyce is playing in training but if he's doing any way well at all, I'd be confident he'll want to atone for his dropping for the semi-final replay. He's a solid centre back and I think he'd fare better against Bonnar Maher than he did against Austin Gleeson.

In the semi-final replay, I think the selections of Liam Blanchfield and Mark Bergin were both shots in the dark from Cody. Farrell and Power were so ineffectual in the first game that he probably thought they couldn't do any worse. Blanchfield paid off but Bergin was anonymous, so I expect Blanchfield to start. He's a big and awkward type of player in the mould of Walter Walsh, but they can be effective too. There's no All-Ireland handed out for style. Farrell's earlier form this season may see him get the nod over Power, although Cody might want the height and physical presence of Power against a smallish Tipp full-back line. Power did well against Tipp in the final replay in 2014 (scored 1-1 I think), that might be at the back of Cody's mind also.

I'd worry about the full-back line with the exception of Paul Murphy. Joey Holden has acquitted himself as well as any full-back could reasonably be expected to do taking over from JJ Delaney, but there's still a perception in Kilkenny that he's too "nice" for the position, and he's coming up against a full forward in Seamus Callanan who loves playing against nice full-backs. The nice guy can't leave the dressing room on Sunday, I'm afraid. Shane Prendergast in the left corner is another potential weak link Tipp will be looking to exploit, especially with the Tipp full-forward line's ability to score goals. You'd imagine that if Jackie Tyrell was anywhere, anywhere, close to his best form that Shane wouldn't be getting a look in, but I think this could be Jackie's last year on the panel. Pity, as Jackie has played brilliantly against Tipp in the last 6 or 7 years we've played, he obviously thrives on the challenge of the fixture.

I have a feeling this will be another classic. It might be a cliché but I don't think these teams are capable of playing a bad match. Have a feeling Tipp will win this one, law of averages states they have to beat us again eventually, but hope I'm wrong.

ballydalane (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1246 - 31/08/2016 12:52:24    1908635