INTERVIEW: TOMMY WALSHAhead of the Galway clash GAVIN CUMMISKEYfinds the Kilkenny wing-back's focus and philosophy is straightforward – win the next ball

A SNAPSHOT of Tommy Walsh. It is 2005. He’s in midfield. The plan was to start the All-Ireland semi-final on time. Slight problem. Diarmuid Lyng has belted David Tierney. Sure, the referee is there but Tierney’s not taking it. Not before the throw-in. He dunts Lyng back.

Tommy does Tierney in the back. Hard. David Forde flies in from the 40 and dunts Tommy. There is a shemozzle. The ref, desperate to get matters underway, fires the sliotar under Lyng and Fergal Healy. Tommy is ready, Tierney is not.

He is the first man into the game. The delivery is immediate and low to the full-forward line.

Galway survive. They more than survived that day. They rattled Kilkenny and won out thanks to skilful play and an avalanche of goals.

The lesson though remains. Tommy Walsh cannot be ruffled. He likes to hit hard. He doesn’t look 5ft 10in. Nor does he seem 12 stone. His frame is ever so slight but there is something inside the Tullaroan man that makes him different than other small men.

He doesn’t look like someone with seven All-Ireland medals either. Nor does he seem like a fella who has plucked nine straight All Stars from the heavens.

But hurling folk always tell you to forget the game when Kilkenny are embroiled in a war. “Just watch Tommy Walsh – Tommy is pure hurling.”

The same theory can apply for Henry Shefflin, JJ Delaney too. We could go on.

Anyway, hurling folk assured us the All-Ireland semi-final between Kilkenny and Tipperary would be a game for the ages.

As good a time as any so to watch Tommy for 70 minutes. So we did. Took notes the entire time. Every movement, every weird conversation with Lar Corbett we tried to lip read (“Tommy, come here to me . . .” we thought he said but can’t be sure).

None of what transpired was Tommy’s fault. You see, Tommy’s view on hurling is ever so simple.

(For those with a bad memory, Corbett tried to mark Tommy but Walsh was covering Pa Bourke while Jackie Tyrrell was tasked with holding Lar. The four moved around together in a group for 50 minutes. Walsh got an early yellow card but the whole bizarre sideshow made Tipperary manager Declan Ryan and Corbett look a little silly).

“My job is just trying to keep my man from scoring – that just happened to be Pa – and get on the ball and hit balls up to the forwards. That’s all you are thinking of going forward in the game. The main thing is you have to think for yourself on the field.”

We wanted to see greatness that day. We got glimpses of the Cat in his natural habitat.

When TJ Reid made it 1-9 to 0-7 after 26 minutes, Tommy caught the next ball.

There were other brief moments of dexterity but no genius. So we waited and watched as the four helmets bobbled down the Canal end, into immortal ridicule.

Nothing to do with Tommy though.

Finally, on 50 minutes, Eoin Larkin’s goal made it a nine-point game. Corbett went inside, leaving Walsh alone to mark Bourke in peace.

Within five minutes he soared above the crowd for a clean catch. The cheer was akin to that for the goals. Moments later, he did it again. We saw three catches from Tommy Walsh. It was enough.

Galway have destroyed Kilkenny in championship twice during Walsh’s 10-year intercounty career.

In the Leinster final it took 20 minutes for a defence including Walsh to concede 2-11. Walsh’s red helmet was evident in most skirmishes. He just never came out with possession.

“We were second to every ball.”

Every single ball?

“Every one, they were first.”

Galway, like most teams nowadays, rotated forwards and the next one seemed better than the last one. I’m on Tommy Walsh, better improve.

“I think I started on Damien Hayes but literally you are marking someone different every few minutes.”

Is that difficult – a big guy then a fast fella?

“You have to think different. I dunno . . . you are trying to think of the next ball all the time.”

We ask him if he was rattled. This is sacrilege, but we ask about his series of mis-hit sideline cuts in the first half, including a fresh-air strike.

“Jesus, very disappointing, like. I didn’t see Joe tipping up to midfield. You think you would learn from the first time. It was just one of those days. The second one went straight to him. Third one I missed it. I wasn’t rattled, that’s just what happened.”

He wasn’t. Watch the game again. Walsh is constantly attempting a block or a hook. But the dam burst early. He admits that game will matter come Sunday. “Ah sure, it is going to be a major factor in both teams’ preparation. Galway, after beating us by so much, will be trying to get that out of their heads. We’ll be trying to use it as a motivating factor.”

But nothing else matters.

His job is just trying to keep his man from scoring and get on the ball and hit balls up to the forwards. That’s all he is thinking of.