Untested Kilkenny could prove vulnerable

MOSTLY HURLING:With three-in-a-row hype already building, Cody's champions face a massive test against rejuvenated Cork, writes John Allen

ONCE CORK had beaten Waterford in the 2006 semi-final the three-in-a-row hype hastened into full speed. Over the following few weeks if I got a euro for every time the subject was mentioned to me I would have been able to book out the whole front row at last week's Tom Waits concert. The build-up to the final was all-encompassing .

There was a steady flow of mail arriving to Páirc Uí Chaoimh and to my home with advice on how to pick the best team, on why we should play certain players and not others, on who would be the best player to take a semi-penalty if we got one and on all matters related to this potentially historic game.

I got one letter addressed to John Allen, Cork Hurling Manager, Cork, all the way from northern Spain. It made the journey in two days. He was a student who had spent July in the country studying English and had seen hurling on television and was looking for a few tickets. I got miraculous medals, lucky charms, mass offerings and enough advice to fill a DIY guide .

There were offers arriving, almost by the hour, of goodies for the squad, deodorants, ties, casual wear, runners, money, caps, badges and such like. There was a great interest in being on that bandwagon. There were long-lost friends making contact from places as far afield as Hy Brasil.

On some nights the noise in the stands at training was reminiscent of the sounds coming from a schoolyard with kids running wild (not that it happens in our schoolyard, Batt).

In short this whole three-in-a-row phenomenon was everywhere. It just wouldn't go away.

What I thought was a highly significant signal from the gods arrived about 10 days before the final. I was visiting somebody in the Regional hospital in Cork when I met the now deceased Canon Bertie Troy.

At the time I felt this was the final piece of the off-the-field jigsaw slotting perfectly into position, the last Cork three-in-a-row manager meeting the next one and this completely out of the blue. I hadn't met the Canon for a fair few years so this had to be a sign, I thought. It was a bit like rubbing a religious relic.

Well Kilkenny are nearly at that stage but they have to face their arch-rivals first. I've no doubt if the Cats go on to win this year's title it will be all the sweeter having beaten Cork but I've a feeling that they're a little worried about Sunday's game .

How often has the underdog won in these Cork-Kilkenny clashes?

Fans of my vintage will remember finals in the last four decades that didn't go according to the script. This game mightn't go according to the script either.

Among the top teams (four or five) there is so little separating them in terms of availability of 20 players good enough to compete seriously at this level.

One single significant win can make all the difference.

If Waterford could have made the breakthrough a few years ago (one semi-final win) they could be going for three in a row this year.

The defeated Kilkenny team of 2004 were being written off almost immediately (one final loss) and in the eyes of many they were heading into transitionary times. That Cork team of 2006 were odds-on favourites to make their own piece of history. What happens? They lose one game and are hastily sent to the outbox.

Now the same great Kilkenny team could lose one game and they'll be dispatched to the same outbox.

There is no doubt that under the present system, which I presume will be changed again next year, there is far too long of a wait between the provincial finals and the All-Ireland semi-finals. Cork, in my opinion, have a decided advantage going into this next game. The two victories and second-half displays will have the team buoyed with confidence, a confidence that was missing a few weeks back.

Look what a difference that win against Galway made. Suddenly this team are deserving of respect again. Will Kilkenny's legendary games at training be enough to have them at the pace required early in Sunday's game?

In the 2003 semi-final Cork certainly suffered from the six-week lay-off when struggling against Wexford for a long while.

Brian Cody's men are in a kind of limbo really. They are favourites to win out. They are trying to make their own bit of history. They have the best panel of players in the country. They have won all their games comprehensively. Yet they don't really know if their current preparation and form is good enough for the next game .

They didn't cope very well with Wexford in the first half of the Leinster final. I don't think Henry Shefflin is back to his best. They haven't been in a position to play and put to the test their best championship 15 yet. So there's a certain amount of doubt in the air. Are they as good as we think?

Is there a kind of poetic justice in allowing Cork the chance to hinder the best-laid plans of mice and Brian Cody.

Cork, on the other hand, have had an ideal run-in. But do they have a strong enough panel? Well the three players they brought in the last day certainly did the business. But if Kilkenny dictate the game from early on they will be very hard to beat.

But the truth as I see it is Kilkenny are in a vulnerable position. They were very impressive in the final of 2006. Now they're two games away from winning three titles in a row without being seriously tested since (apart from the 60-minute Galway challenge last year).

Perhaps that's not enough.