Who would have predicted a few months back that the pairing for this years All-Ireland hurling final would be between Kilkenny and Waterford? Okay everyone would agree that the Cats were racing certainties to be there but what about the boys from the Deise? Not only have they come through the back door system but it has come against the backdrop of ousting the manager from his position but also from not playing well as a team and placing guys in unfamiliar territory, all of which led to the theory that they were now a spent force - and then arrives the bold Davy Fitzgerald to pick up the pieces. So what did he bring to the table that was not there before and how come we see a turnaround in the quality of game and personnel they have now adopted. Well to me the answer is very simple - he brought a new approach and freshness which the players were crying out for - simple as that. This team had become a bad team overnight but not in Davy's eyes - he could still see the potential of each individual, he could sense there was still something left in the tank and most importantly was the fact that the team were playing within themselves all year with a` big fear over their heads'. They had got stale - listening to the same voice - same methods of training and maybe an element of boredom crept in. Perhaps some of the player felt it was now a hassle to turn up to training. Once the Clare man arrived all that changed. New modern training methods, new ideas and a fresh voice built their confidence up again and attitudes changed for the better. The end result is a first All-Ireland final appearance for all these players who so richly deserve it for all the entertainment they have provided over the last few years. Now we wonder will it win them their first medal and earn them a place in history? Let's take a look and see. The Burning Questions Will they fear the Cats? They are next door neighbours and the last team to beat Kilkenny in serious competition, so they will respect them but not fear them. Can they match and cope with physical presence and strength of this Kilkenny team? When you have Ken McGrath, the two Prendergasts, Eoin Kelly, Dan the Man, Brick Walsh and John Mullane in your side, then I would say yes, they can match the Cats in this area. Can they score as much as Kilkenny? Alongside the black and amber they have the best scoring forwards in the country on their day, so yes, they can cope with them in that area. Will they match the hunger shown by Kilkenny in their game against Cork, which showed us all that they want this three-in-a-row so badly? I say if you have never been in a final before and this maybe your last opportunity, then hunger will not be an issue. Will they allow themselves be carried away like they had in previous years with the Munster success and take their eye off the ball? I don't think that will be allowed to happen because Davy Fitz' will not allow it to happen. Go back to last year and on the Friday night before the All-Ireland final you had Limerick players opening showhouses and the likes. I will guarantee you the only house these lads will see is their own. Davy will have his house in order on all the hype surrounding an All-Ireland final appearance. He has been there, done that. Need I say anymore? So what is going to decide this game? For me a game plan and structured game plan has to be put in place because when you look at what the Cats did to Cork and most teams this year, they study the opposition in great detail. They assess the opposition's strengths and weaknesses, their puck outs and where they are going to land. They expose the weaknesses and limit the key strengths to the bare minimum. They crowd the midfield so much that it leaves acres of space for their full forward line which in turn suits Eddie Brennan and Henry Shefflin alike with quick delivery, be it in the air or on the ground. It is not complicated, just simple common sense. I am sure the backroom boys in the Deise will have taken notice of all this and plenty of discussion will take place between now and final day to come up with the right formula. Managing it right and delivering it to perfection on match day could be the difference between winning and losing. The minor final This has all the ingredients of being a cracker of a game and after impressive semi-final performances; both will fancy their chances of taking home the silverware. Both Munster finalists Cork and Tipperary are gone from the equation and that I am sure it comes as a major surprise to the management of both teams as they were fancied again to be the pairing on All-Ireland Final. Kilkenny and Galway were not reading that script though and gave us an indication of the talent at their disposal right now by improving in every game and producing the goods at the right time. The minor grade can always throw up the unexpected and this year is no different to others. The worry from a Cork view point is that at minor, U21 and senior level, we have no team involved when the medals are about to be given out and yet people think everything is rosy in the garden in Cork. I think the Cats are on course for a double come the first week in September and that has to be a major concern for us all, particularly with them lined up to take the U21 title as well. Championship Format What has to be next on the horizon for the Hurling Development Committee has to be the structure of our championships going forward. Most provincial winners bar Kilkenny are not contesting the All- Ireland finals and that has to be a worry. When you win a Munster title, you are then idle for five or six weeks which sets you up to lose your All-Ireland semi-final. Surely that cannot be right and change is needed as soon as possible. Public interest is not what it was for the provincial championships, crowds are down, costs are increasing and the reality is that the championship does not start until August has steadily grown upon us over the last few years. That all the efforts from April to July can disappear in a 70 minute game come August has me seriously concerned. We need to get it right and the sooner the better for us all. Tweet

Most Read Stories