Kilkenny “out on their own”

Galway are at the head of the chasing pack so the ease of Kilkenny’s Leinster final win means they’re still out on their own, says Cork star Sean Og O hAilpin.

The Cats lifted a fifth straight Leinster title with a seven-point victory over Galway at Croke Park on Sunday in a game which never looked likely to see an upset.

Given that they hit 17 wides for the second game in succession, there should be plenty of improvement in Brian Cody’s men – and JOE’s hurling columnist Sean Og O hAilpin believes the four-time All-Ireland champions are a team without weaknesses.

In this week’s column, he wrote, “If you say that Kilkenny are out in front, I’d put Galway at the head of the chasing pack, and Kilkenny won the game in cruise control. I think that’s a pretty accurate reflection of where this competition is.

“There aren’t too many weaknesses there. Look at their strength in depth. You have Michael Kavanagh on the subs’ bench with about seven All-Ireland medals dangling out of his back pocket. Derek Lyng probably has six.

“People said that Noel Hickey and the full back line might be shaky but I’m sick of telling people – you can forget about trying to find weaknesses in their full back line. It’s an urban legend.

“You look at the forward line yesterday and Eddie Brennan and Martin Comerford, two great players, didn’t play well. But it doesn’t matter because they always have someone else to pick up the slack: Henry Shefflin, Richie Power, Richie Hogan when he came on, Eoin Larkin, TJ Reid. Next day Eddie Brennan and Martin Comerford could have stormers. That’s just the way of it.”

For Sean Og’s full column, in which he also discusses Cork’s Munster final date with Waterford next Sunday, click here.