1. A stirring Kilkenny comeback
It’s not the first time that Brian Cody has observed a team of his mounting a rousing revival after the interval, yet his ability to keep engineering such feats is remarkable. Kilkenny hauled themselves back from nine points down last night to prevail by a single score, a victory that was more convincing in the end than the scoreboard suggests.
Kilkenny had their noses in front 0-5 to 0-4 by the 12th minute but were then outscored 1-9 to 0-2 between the 17th and 36th minutes. To achieve a success from there was highly impressive, particularly given that they did not find the net when igniting their challenge.
TJ Reid’s accuracy from placed balls and ability to win possession in rucks were key facets while Paddy Deegan, Paul Murphy and Padraig Walsh powered the team on from the back with huge determination.
2. The depth of Kilkenny’s panel holds up
Kilkenny’s subs proved a crucial asset last night. In the scoring stakes there was the fact that Richie Leahy, John Donnelly and Joey Holden chipped in with a combined haul of 0-5. Hauling off a celebrated pair like Colin Fennelly and Richie Hogan at half-time is the type of hard decision Brian Cody has no qualms making and he was rewarded by the showing of the replacements.
Leahy contributed a lot at midfield, Holden helped shore up the rearguard and Donnelly was intelligent in his reading of the breaks that fell from aerial bombardments on top of Walter Walsh. Martin Keoghan and Liam Blanchfield did not raise any flags but did their bit on the right flank of the attack to prevent Wexford from using it as a launchpad.
3. Wexford fade after first-half heroics
Wexford wound up the night with a defeat, a difficult outcome to absorb given the quality of the first-half play they served up. Rory O’Connor’s angles of running and smooth striking lit up the game while Lee Chin and Conor McDonald also showcased their capacity to cause damage.
But they couldn’t sustain it, which was understandable given their exertions of pushing hard on the pitch for the fourth weekend running. Chin’s 36th minute point was their last score from play, the remaining five Wexford points came from placed balls.
Their grim refusal to not allow Kilkenny sprint clear was impressive, typified by Paudie Foley’s towering play, and the most they trailed by was two points. But they couldn’t fashion a bit of late magic in open play to grab the draw that would have propelled them into a Leinster final.
4. The case for Padraig Walsh at number five
No player embodied Kilkenny’s drive more in the second half than Padraig Walsh. Of course being restored to his natural habitat helped him make such a major impact as he thrived in the half-back line. His 43rd minute point from distance raised the roof, he won another free that Reid converted after a rampaging run and overall brought great dynamism to that sector for Kilkenny.
Walsh made his name in that berth, winning an All-Star award in 2016, but has made a sacrifice for the greater good – much like Kerry’s footballers had to do with Seamus Moynihan – by operating at the edge of the square. There’s always been a sense that he could dictate a game more if released to the wing. Last night’s showing ensured that argument will not go away.
5. A jolt of life for Leinster hurling
The constant drama and firecrackers in Munster over the last few weeks has left the Leinster round-robin format moved a little off centre stage. The lopsided nature of some of the games involving Offaly hasn’t helped – in terms of sheer competitiveness amongst all teams, Leinster can’t compete at present.
But the province can still serve up some terrific encounters. Last night was the type of thing the proponents of the new structure would have envisaged – the final game in a series with everything on the line and two teams thundering into each other from the word go. Wexford set the pace, Kilkenny hauled them back and it proved compelling viewing on a humid night on Noreside.
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