LIMERICK CAPTAIN DONAL O’GRADY feels the current crop of Kilkenny hurlers will go down in history as the best ever.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final, the 34 year-old, who makes his return at the weekend after missing his side’s quarter-final win over Wexford due to injury, is under no illusion as to how tough it will be to get the better of Brian Cody’s outfit.

Everyone will agree that they’re the greatest team to have ever played the game, this bunch of players. They’ve freshened up the thing again now – they’re League champions and Leinster champions and it’s a formidable task to get up there at Croke Park. We feel that if we can bring a game that we can trouble them. That’s what we’re hoping we can do.”

The last time the teams met on Jones’ Road was All-Ireland final day in 2007. Limerick failed to score for the first ten minutes. Kilkenny racked up 2-03. The game was effectively over in the blink of an eye and O’Grady, who was playing at midfield that day, believes his team need to avoid the mistakes they made on that given Sunday.

Limerick captain Donal O'Grady thinks his side will be motivated by last year's semi-final defeat to Clare. ©INPHO / Cathal Noonan ©INPHO / Cathal Noonan / Cathal Noonan

We hadn’t been in a final since 1996 and it was a long time until 2007. Looking back on it now, and on reflection, Kilkenny were ruthless in their approach to that match. It shows how mentally strong a team they were. They went for the jugular early and killed whatever hope we had. It was definitely a big learning experience. We conceded two goals in the first ten minutes, two sucker punches to take. On Sunday, we’ll have to work harder than them and the main thing for us is to try not to concede goals. We can’t let Kilkenny get a foothold like that in the game.”

But as much as Limerick are motivated by what happened seven years ago, there was a devastating loss to Clare at the semi-final stage twelve months ago that will also fuel their determination and focus on Sunday.

We were coming on the back of winning the Munster championship, with a great confidence and buzz and we really believed that we could get to the All-Ireland final. In the space of 75 minutes that was all wiped away. We went from the highs of playing in Croke Park, in with a chance of getting to the final, to the lows of opportunity lost. Most of the lads were either playing or involved that day. The hurt of that should be a motivation in itself.”

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