BRIAN CODY is a modest and self-effacing man and in his years guiding Kilkenny to relentless success scarcely a word of hubris has escaped his lips. He would have been horrified to note then that as he spoke in the Croke Park press room his image from an earlier TV interview appeared behind him on two large screens. The effect betrayed the modest thoughtfulness of his words in the wake of a win which he must have been enjoying more than he let on to be.

"We prepared well for it. Ye were all saying, understandably, it was hard to gauge how we would play after the long lay-off and the form Cork had in the last few weeks. All we could do was prepare and go ahead and play the game. We did that. I thought today we were decent.

"There were big questions asked especially for the first 20 minutes of each half when Cork were really, really serious but we weathered the storm in both halves and we finished strong in both halves as well."

Cork must have wondered if they would ever catch a break during those periods when they had Kilkenny under pressure but in the face of such an astonishing work-rate the scores only came slowly. It was remarkable to see a player with a swing as quick and economical as Joe Deane's being blocked twice in the first half. You could tell Cork were beginning to run out of steam and hope when players who would normally take the ball in the hand and drive with it opted to flick it on hopefully.

Cody spoke afterwards about the fitness work and preparation by the Kilkenny panel. The effort in Kilkenny and the thanks get spread over a large number of people. He reflected too on why such an effort is the minimum needed.

"The reality . . . is neither team will dominate for even half a game. Neither team dominates a whole game or even a full half of a game. That's the way with Cork. They came at us very early. We had whatever lead we had and if we were able to get a few points and regroup we could work our way back into the game. That's what happened really and the players just continued to work hard and they were bound to pick scores. They are talented players and they will do that. So be it. It is question of keeping going the whole time and that is what we have done. The panel is what it is about."

He spoke glowingly of Noel Hickey ("an inspiration to us all") and noted whatever had happened near the end with James "Cha" Fitzpatrick, he hadn't seen it.

Beside him his captain, Eoin Larkin, sipped his mineral and grinned when asked about his goal, the score which had put real distance between the sides. "I suppose a goal is a killer thing at that point. There were about 10 minutes to go in the first half and we were a couple of points up and obviously a goal helped us along. Things opened up for me when I got it. We were two on one so I said I would have a go."

Larkin noted what many observers had - Kilkenny just shut down teams. "Our backs have been brilliant for the last two years. Closing down space, blocking and hooking. If you were travelling on the bus with us or if you had been in that dressingroom you would know. I have never been so nervous before a match since I came into the Kilkenny team. I had butterflies the whole week."

Michael Kavanagh was just as happy. "We delivered there today. It was in lads' heads we hadn't had a tough game since last year and that Cork were on the back of a couple of tough games. Competition is good in a panel and we have lads fighting for spots in the team . . . That helps. It was point for point for a long time till the end of the first half when we pulled away. We knew they would come again though. We stuck in there and pulled off mighty good points."

Henry Shefflin put an end really to questions about his rehabilitation with three points plundered off Seán Óg Ó hAilpín. The King has returned to the building. "We were very nervous before today. Looking at Cork for the last two weeks performing brilliantly while we were sitting back idle. But we put the work in at training and we thought if we picked up our intensity and our work-rate we would have the chance. We said as forwards we would have to work hard because if Cork's backs get space they can pick out their men and they will punish you. We were very nervous about this game."

As for Shefflin himself the health of the knee he damaged in last year's All-Ireland is no longer a worry. "The knee is perfect."

For Shefflin this was another All-Ireland final accessed but also perhaps farewell to a rival side who have dogged Kilkenny for years. He played on Seán Óg, two giants crunching off each other. "Seán Óg! It's hard to get rid of him. It was a great old battle we had. He is a great player and a fair player. All the Cork fellas have been brilliant over the past few years and have brought great things to this year's championship."

Cork manager Gerald McCarthy was asked if the hectic schedule had tired Cork out. "No. We played a semi-final against one of the best teams of the decade. That is where we wanted to be. Out there. We have to admire Kilkenny, they put in a magnificent performance. We were doing okay up until 22nd, 23rd minute and we took our foot off the pedal and that is very dangerous against Kilkenny. They racked up an eight-point lead very quickly. Against a team like Kilkenny, that was going to prove impossible to pull back."

And yet like everyone else in the stadium there was a belief in his heart about these players. "I didn't think it was over. Not with this group of players. They fight away to the very end. You could make a case maybe we had a couple of goal chances in that first half. If we were to prosper we needed them."