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Galway v Kilkenny — All-Ireland Under-21HC semi-final match guide

The second of Saturday’s All-Ireland U21 hurling semi-finals sees Galway take on Kilkenny in Thurles.

Saturday, Semple Stadium, 6pm, (Ref: John Sexton, Cork)

Latest from the medics and management… Kilkenny are unchanged from the Leinster final win over Laois. Cillian Buckley is one of three senior panellists in the team, one of whom is centre-back Richie Doyle who was not started in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final win over Tipperary on Sunday.

KILKENNY U21H: Dylan Walsh (Thomastown); Jason Corcoran (John Lockes), Willie Phelan (Dunamaggin), Brian Kennedy (St Lachtain’s); Luke Harney (Kilmacow), Richie Doyle (Barrow Rangers), Joe Lyng (Rower Inistioge); Geoff Brennan (St Patrick’s), Ollie Walsh (Dicksboro); Kevin Kelly (St Patrick’s), Padraig Walsh (Tullaroan), Cillian Buckley (Dicksboro); Walter Walsh (Tullogher-Rosbercon), John Power (Carrickshock), Ger Aylward (Glenmore).

Galway feature 12 starter players who were named on the match-day panel against Cork in the successful All-Ireland SHC semi-final, four of whom started the game.

GALWAY U21: Fergal Flannery (Padraig Pearses); Brian Flaherty (Abbeyknockmoy), Daithi Burke (Turloughmore), Jason Grealish (Gort); Johnny Coen (Loughrea), Darragh Burke (St Thomas), Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields); Padraig Brehony (Tynagh-Abbey-Duniry), Tadhg Haran (Liam Mellowes); Richie Cummins (Gort), Niall Burke (Oranmore-Maree), James Regan (St Thomas); Conor Cooney (St Thomas), Jonathan Glynn (Ardrahan), Davy Glennon (Mullagh).

Checking the odds… Galway are 8/13 while Kilkenny can be got at 6/4 while the draw is 10/1. You can get 11/10 on the handicap for Galway (-2).

Clues from the form guide… Galway are favourites here but they face the same pitfalls that Limerick fell into earlier this year. Namely, that their gamut of senior stars could not quite transfer senior form to this grade. The Treaty County came acropper against a relatively novice Tipperary side — by comparison, that is — but the Tribe have a key advantage with their management. Anthony Cunningham is over both the seniors and under-21s so he has been able to bring the same level of intensity to both sides — which, going by the seniors’ season, can only be a good thing.

Kilkenny have yet to be tested in this year’s under-21 championship after handy wins over Wexford and a woeful Laois side that had actually beaten last year’s All-Ireland finalists, Dublin. But they will put in a massive effort and will hope they can shut down the Galway forwards, to give themselves some sort of a chance.

The game breakers are… Galway have so many, to the point of it being almost ridiculous. Niall Burke was fantastic for the seniors in the All-Ireland semi-final against Cork while Conor Cooney has done well knitting play together in the Tribe full-forward line. Johnny Coen, all but guaranteed an All Star and Young Hurler of the Year nomination (like Burke), will lead from the back and is expected to ferry out plenty of ball; the intelligent manner in which he, and he teammates distribute it, could be vital on the day. One word of warning though, Galway have lost more times to Kilkenny in under-21 championship semi-finals or finals than against any other county.

Credit ©INPHO/James Crombie

Gazing into the crystal ball… Kilkenny will look to shut down Galway’s forwards but there just seems to be too much firepower, based on the evidence of the teamsheets. Niall Burke can score freely on his day, James Regan showed pace and physicality against Cork seniors, while Johnny Coen has been a star all year.

Kilkenny have a couple of excellent forwards too and will look to Padraig Walsh, John Power, Cillian Buckley and Walter Walsh to lead the line. It’s a big ask and, while possible, it seems as if they will have to catch the Tribe cold. Given it’s Galway’s first game of the championship, that’s not out of the question.

Verdict… Galway

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