Champions to face stern test from Kilkenny

UNDER-21 HURLING:WHAT A delicious-looking appetiser for next month's senior showdown between these same two counties, although it's a standout fixture anyway, bringing together two of the best under-21 teams in the country right now.

Galway, as usual, haven’t yet played in this championship, but they are the reigning All-Ireland champions, and come loaded with players with plenty of senior action this summer, including Niall Burke, Conor Cooney, James Regan and Davy Glennon.

They share the same manager, too, in Anthony Cunningham, who has always identified the important link between the grades.

However, Kilkenny arrive with plenty of credentials of their own, hammering Wexford by 3-20 to 4-6 in the Leinster semi-final, before registering an even bigger victory over Laois, 4-24 to 1-13, to land the Leinster title, their first since 2009.

Manager Richie Mulrooney is in his first year in charge, having already enjoyed success with the minors, and can also call on senior experience in the form of Cillian Buckley and Richie Doyle, as well as Richie Power’s younger brother John, who is proving every bit as talented as his elder brother.

Buckley this week played down the notion he’ll be holding back in some way, rather than risk injury which could deny him a senior All-Ireland start: “No, I will treat this as an important a match as I will play all year and it is. When we started off the Leinster campaign we were going to have another shot at the Galway under-21s who actually beat us three years ago in the 2009 All-Ireland minor final so this group of players really has something to stand up for.”

Galway wing back Johnny Coen also finds himself in the same boat as Buckley in that he is expected to feature in both matches: “Kilkenny being Kilkenny you can never underestimate them, the kingpins of hurling. We’re under no illusions, there’s a huge task ahead of us. Come Saturday form will go out the window, it will be every man for himself.”

Kilkenny’s awesome scoring – remember, they hit 7-44 in their last two games – could prove to be enough to take them through to the final on September 15th.

GALWAY: F Flannery; B Flaherty, D Burke, J Grealish; J Coen, D Burke, J. Cooney; P Brehony, T Haran; R Cummins, N Burke, J Regan; C Cooney, J Glynn, D Glennon.

KILKENNY: D Walsh; J Corcoran, W Phelan, B Kennedy; L Harney, R Doyle, J Lyng; G Brennan, O Walsh; K Kelly, P Walsh, C Buckley; W Walsh, J Power, G Aylward.