THEY ARE A Leinster hurling heavyweight, the reigning champions preparing for their third final in four years.
Anthony Daly has overseen an era where the team has evolved considerably. Cast your mind back to 2010 and their calamitous qualifier exit to Antrim when they let the game slip from their grasp.
Dublin panicked on that occasion when in sight of the finish line but when Daly watched his side get the job done in their recent Leinster semi-final against Wexford, he observed a changed team.
“There would be more of a maturity and positivity and less doubt I would feel about them around the place. I thought that came out in the second half in Wexford. There was no panicky hurling.
“The league (in 2011) was very significant for us but to win Leinster was a far bigger deal. I thought sometimes in other games in other years there was panicky hurling and none more evident than against Antrim here when we were up six points (2010).
“Jesus when I look back, I plucked up the courage to look back at that once and some of the stuff like fellas jumping up on each other’s backs for high balls.
“But they did stuff right in Wexford and there was a calmness about me there in the second half. I thought we will work this out and use the ball and work the scores. I felt we were never going to lose the match in the second half and that comes off them.”
The prize for their continued progress is a tilt at Kilkenny next Sunday. Croke Park was the scene of their defeats to the Cats in the deciders in 2009 and 2011 while they triumphed at the venue against Galway last July. Daly is pleased to be returning to headquarters.
“I think if you don’t want to play out there, there is something wrong with you. Every team wants to play here. I know the Clare footballers were there in the Division 4 (league) final and loads of people at home were saying why don’t they play the match inside in the Gaelic Grounds or toss for home and away.
“I met one of the lads, we live in west Clare obviously, and he said, ‘I can’t wait like I don’t care if there’s only 10 people there, just can’t wait to get out there’. So it is fantastic.
“There is nowhere to hide out there. It’s one of the things I always said about Thurles if you played in Ennis or Limerick or Pairc Uí Chaoimh, you knew Frank Lohan was near enough to you, Seanie (McMahon) was across from you and (Ollie) Baker or (Colin) Lynch were in front. But Jaysus in Thurles, it was you and your man and you’d be shouting Seanie come over near me, he is lightning and I am slow!
“It (Croker) is a place where you do have to win a lot of individual battles. There is more space and if you are lacking a yard, it can be shown up but then a lot of the fellas lacking in yards are like the Beckenbauer theory and they read it well.
“There was no sign of Mr Tyrell back in the corner lacking yards on Saturday evening back in the corner and out in front nearly all the time.”
