GAELIC GAMES CHAMPIONSHIP 2009:If Kilkenny pick up where they left off at the end of last year's championship, the four-in-a-row should be theirs for the taking

THE ALL-IRELAND four-in-a-row has been achieved only once in the entire history of hurling – yet Kilkenny are currently odds-on to do just that in September. Once a team wins three titles, a sense of inevitability about the fourth settles in – but it’s not that easy.

Another year has gone by. Injuries are becoming more common and the new provincial structure has shaken up Kilkenny’s routine. This evening’s Leinster semi-final with Galway is completely out of sync for the champions. The location and a Saturday throw-in at this time of the year are unfamiliar elements, as are opponents they’re used to meeting later in the summer.

It may sharpen their focus but it will also take them out of their comfort zone.

Noel Hickey has become particularly injury-prone, a condition I became depressingly familiar with at the end of my career. Brian Cody will be anxious to get what he can out of Hickey at this stage but if his frequent absences are an indicator the manager will be dealing with an increased injury load.

Brian Hogan is also out and he’s been absolutely outstanding in recent years. Midfield has had to be replaced and, of the whole central diamond, Henry Shefflin is the only one playing this evening and he hasn’t been as imperious so far this year in either league or club championship. Only Cody knows what they look like in training but this is the first chance to see if their rating for this year’s All-Ireland is justified.

It’s another year on for the core group. If they’re in the form of last August and September there’s no question about who’ll win the All-Ireland but if they can’t get all of those players on to the pitch that’s a different matter. I’ve never believed the throwaway line about Kilkenny’s reserves being the second-best team in the country. They have five substitutes who would get on to any other team but most of them will be playing tonight anyway.

Galway are a team that could take advantage. If they can get the upper hand in those areas upset by injury they can cause trouble. Midfield could force Kilkenny’s half backs to turn and get a flow of ball going into the full forwards where Damien Hayes and Niall Healy are lively and Joe Canning very strong. If we are explaining a Galway win on Monday this will be the key area.

The problem for Galway is that they have difficulties as well. If Canning isn’t at least 85 or 90 per cent right, they won’t be able to take advantage of any weaknesses that prevent Kilkenny being as good as last year. Kevin “Chunky” Hayes’s suspension is a substantial loss and there are questions about their defence. They have three excellent corner backs but Fergal Moore isn’t as good a wing back and Galway have to be able to compete with Kilkenny’s half forwards if they’re to have any chance.

One of the keys for Kilkenny has been the ability of players to emerge as Hurler of the Year in any given championship. Eoin Larkin is the most improved hurler in the country since the Leinster final of two years ago. He went from being a bit player to the best hurler in last year’s championship.

I think Richie Power could be key this year. He was in outstanding form early in the league before he got injured and if Kilkenny are to find a new spark it will be him. Given his talent it’s taken a long time for him to get on the right side of Cody.

He has a tendency to overplay the ball and be a bit flash – things you wouldn’t find underlined in Cody’s manual. But if the Kilkenny manager has a wish-list, top of it would be that Power become the player that he could be.

I didn’t read an awful lot into the league final apart from being more frightened of Kilkenny afterwards than I was before. They were eight points down and came back to win in a match during which they had been completely rattled at one stage.

Richie Hogan was man of the match and he’s not even on the team tonight.

The only negatives were the injury to Hogan and the fact that their hurling level was lower than it had been earlier in the league, which isn’t like them. They may have been significantly under-strength but that can happen again. You can’t go for four-in-a-row without mileage on the clock.

They should win but I think they’ll be mightily relieved leaving Tullamore having come through this.

It’s hardly a marketing triumph to have so many hurling matches played on the same weekend. In the Munster semi-final tomorrow Tipperary should have too much up front for Clare, whose league performances were surprisingly poor after what was a good enough championship for them last year.

In last year’s Munster final Clare did unexpectedly well until John O’Brien’s goal killed them off but they missed a lot of scores and the defeat by Cork was also down to failure to take chances. They’re not totally without a chance in this but I don’t think their ability to convert scoring opportunities has improved that much.

In Thurles this evening I don’t believe that Limerick will start again without David Breen and Denis Moloney and I also think that Limerick will have too much desire for Waterford. Players like Brian Geary and Stephen Lucey would love to win a Munster medal. Waterford are more talented but judging by last week’s second half they are struggling for motivation and application.

Finally Dublin will need to improve on the Antrim performance but that might help Anthony Daly raise them. Ronan Fallon’s out and that’s a big loss for Dublin, who struggle to score more than they miss. Wexford are better than last year. Are Dublin? They might be and need to be but I don’t think they’ll win.