FORMER KILKENNY STAR Michael Rice says last weekend’s All Ireland semi-final draw has almost single handedly salvaged the 2016 hurling championship.
And he feels that if Kilkenny up their performance levels in the forward line in Saturday night’s replay they will get through to another All-Ireland final.
“The drawn game was a brilliant match – one that has saved a poor championship to date,” Rice says.
“Kilkenny will be delighted to be getting a second chance. To have been beaten in so many positions and still pull it out of the fire is testament to the fighting spirit and belief in the side.
“On the other hand Waterford will fully believe in themselves playing 15 against 15 and going man to man. The players or management won’t want to revert to the sweeper system. They will look to test Kilkenny in the same way again and that makes for a mouth watering replay.
“The big question for Waterford is can they bring that level of performance again? They outfought Kilkenny for breaking ball for most of the drawn match. Kilkenny are well aware of this and will be really focusing on improving this aspect of their play. When a team is on top in winning breaking ball they automatically control the game and are on the front foot.
“Overall, I feel Waterford will perform at a high level again next weekend but if we can win two or three more battles particularly in the forwards then it will turn the tide in our favour.”
Rice missed out on this year’s championship squad and while he has moved on, games like last Sunday’s reminded him of the high you reach playing big championship days at Croke Park.
Still, he knew the end of the road was nigh when he met Cody for chat at the end of spring and found there was no place for him in the championship set-up. He was only 32 but the two-time All Star had been intent on making up for lost time after badly damaging his fingers in an All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary and then tearing his cruciate ligament on a training camp.
He made one huge push to get over those injuries, but didn’t quite get back to the levels he wanted.
“But I was happy to go to the end of the wire,” he says. “Wherever or whenever that was. I didn’t feature at all for Kilkenny in the league stages but I knew only one thing coming back this year – that I absolutely wanted to do one thing and that was give a hundred percent, go as hard as I could, and see where it took me.
“Brian and I had a few chats throughout the year, we would have been both on the same page. The league came and went without much action but I suppose I was just concentrating on training as hard as I could throughout that.”
There was no animosity whatsoever following the exclusion, merely a testimony from Rice that his manager was straight down the line.
“Rice quips: “Brian was always honest. The Kilkenny set-up was always honest. Whether you were on the team or in the stands. There was no room for bluffers. And if you’re happy with yourself that you’ve given it everything, I don’t think there’s any issue.”
Stepping off the intercounty carousel has given him a new lease of life.
“For too long I probably played with injury, and looking back maybe that’s something I would have done differently. But most players are like that.
“Do you rest and lose your position or stay going? The obvious answer is that you go – if you can go. That’s the competitive nature of it – if a lad gets into the team instead of you there is no sentiment.”
Rice is currently in the thick of spearheading the ‘Michael Rice St Kieran’s College Coaching Academy’, a coaching course for hurling managers and coaches which runs from August 26-28.
An Economics and Irish teacher at the school, his course allows coaches to get the opportunity to hear from both players and professionals who are instrumental in the present game.
Rice explains: “We try to combine the most effective modern coaching techniques with a thorough grounding in the traditions of the game. Tommy Walsh, David Herity, Brian Hogan, Richie Hogan, Richie Power and others are all involved.”
He adds: “Coaches can stay on the grounds of St Kieran’s College with meals being provided throughout the day and being on campus allows them to move easily between the pitches, the gym and the lecture hall.
“Also, the coaches are also learning from each other as they share their thoughts and ideas amongst the group.
Anyone interested should follow the twitter account @KieransRiceAcad or Facebook at RiceKierans CoachingAcademy.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
