Match analysis: Kilkenny are building a system that combines traditional strengths with tactical nuance

This Saturday in Nowlan Park when Kilkenny take on Galway, we can expect to see the intensity of July in mid-April.

Galway arrive with a new edge under Michael Donoghue, while Kilkenny − now settled under Derek Lyng − have steadily refined their structured, high-possession system throughout the league. For both counties, this is about more than points − this is about laying down a marker.

Kilkenny’s league campaign: Building structures

Kilkenny entered the League with optimism under Lyng, and while their structural identity has continued to evolve, the campaign was a mixed bag in terms of results. They opened impressively with a comeback win over Clare (0-23 to 0-21), but faltered across the following rounds.

Losses to Galway, Cork, and Tipperary exposed inconsistencies − particularly in transition defence and discipline. The Tipperary defeat (2-25 to 1-19) was especially damaging, not just on the scoreboard but with the loss of three players to red cards, highlighting a lack of composure under pressure. These matches tested Kilkenny’s evolving system, revealing gaps when forced into reactive play.

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However, their final league performance against Limerick was a major positive. Racking up 0-29 in a controlled and composed display, Kilkenny rediscovered their fluency, with their half-back line and link play standing out.

From a tactical perspective, Kilkenny’s passing network continues to reflect a team striving for control through layered progression. Players like Cian Kenny, Richie Reid and Huw Lawlor have become central to that flow. Yet their struggles under pressure − particularly on long puckouts and intense presses − remain a concern.

On puckouts, we can see below Eoghan Murphy’s hand is raised to signal that he is going long to TJ Reid coming from deep. In the next shot we see William O’Donoghue stays zonal and collects possession with ease, with no Kilkenny player competing. The addition of Fionan Mackessy though could give them another puckout target in the half-forward line.

Eoin Murphy signals that the puckout is about to go long, during the league game against Limerick

Limerick win possession back unchallenged, simply by staying in zonal positions

Kilkenny’s passing network from that game, as seen below, gives us an insight as to how they play the game. At the heart of their operations was Cian Kenny, who was a constant link between defence and attack. Whether acting as a pivot or linking across lines, Kenny consistently found himself in space and proved integral to Kilkenny’s ability to maintain rhythm and tempo.

Kilkenny's passing network from their league game against Limerick: the graphic only shows passes that were hit more than once. By following the darker colours you can see Kilkenny's preferred passing patterns

The central-channel axis of Eoin Murphy → Huw Lawlor → Richie Reid served as a reliable launchpad, as visualised by the thicker arcs emanating across the half-back line. Reid, once again, played quarterback with multiple incisive passes aimed at bypassing Limerick’s first line of pressure. Moreover, the use of goalkeeper Eoin Murphy as an out ball to help the defence can also be seen in the arc between Richie Reid and Murphy.

Limerick were too slow on their restarts, which allowed Kilkenny to get into shape after every puckout. The addition of Ray Boyne, data and performance analyst, will give the players and management more focus and clarity on key performance indicators (KPIs). They outworked a Limerick team that traditionally are the standard bearers in tackling and work rate.

In terms of personnel, the likely return of Eoin Cody, Adrian Mullen, and David Blanchfield adds depth and energy. Their availability will be critical as Kilkenny look to strike a balance between structure and spontaneity.

Galway’s mixed bag

Galway’s league campaign showed flashes of attacking brilliance offset by defensive vulnerabilities. With victories over Clare and Wexford, the Tribesmen showed glimpses of their potential — particularly in the controlled win over Clare, where structure and intensity aligned.

However, their three losses — to Tipperary, Limerick, and Cork — told a more complex story. While Galway managed to put up respectable tallies in all three, they were often undone by leaky defensive setups, conceding heavily in transition and from restarts. The numbers paint the picture: 4-22 shipped to Cork, 3-25 to Tipp, and 1-27 to Limerick highlight a side still searching for stability at the back.

The potential return of Daithí Burke at full-back would be a significant boost, particularly in managing the matchup with Mossy Keoghan. Equally crucial will be how Fintan Burke or Pádraig Mannion handle the challenge posed by TJ Reid.

In their opening league clash with Tipperary, Galway struggled both with their long puckouts and in advancing short puckouts into attacking positions. The heatmap below highlights how Tipperary allowed Galway’s full-back line short puckout options, only to set defensive traps between the 45m and 65m lines.

Galway's puckout heat map shows their preferred areas to target - the lighter areas shows the zones where Galway are either losing or retaining possession off their puckout

We can see their preference is for for short-to-mid puckouts on the right hand side. Another hot area is near midfield on the left, suggesting targeted diagonal or positional puckouts into that space. There’s less intensity further up the field, highlighting a lack of direct long puckouts. On Saturday, Kilkenny will offer Galway lots of opportunities to work the ball out short.

Kilkenny's preferred puckout strategy against Limerick was to let the corner backs collect possession and then try to close them down

Another key aspect is the contrasting work rate of the forward units. A turnover map below compares where each side regained possession during the Galway/Tipperary league game. Strikingly, Galway’s forwards failed to register a single turnover inside Tipperary’s 45m line — an indicator of the lack of pressure being applied in the opposition’s defensive third.

Galway turnovers during their league match against Tipperary - only one was in their attacking half of the pitch, indicating a lack of pressure on the Tipperary defence from the Galway forwards

In contrast, the amount of turnovers forced by Tipperary's attackers suggests a bold attacking plan and a high workrate

Galway’s main issues so far have been at either end of the pitch — defensively and in their ability to create a wide spread of scorers. Addressing this requires the team to operate as a more cohesive unit, especially when linking play through the middle third. A key part of this is ensuring that Tiernan Killeen, Tom Monaghan, Cianan Fahy and the returning Cathal Mannion see enough possession, and that they then make smart decisions in transition, allowing for quicker, more effective distribution into the inside forward line.

We’ve only seen glimpses of this level of fluid teamplay — most notably in the Clare game, where Anthony Burns (2-3) and Conor Whelan were dominant, thriving off well-structured attacking moves. Since then, Galway have struggled to recreate that rhythm.

Looking at Kilkenny’s approach offers a sharp contrast. Against Limerick, they applied relentless pressure, hounding their opponents and disrupting build-up play. That pressure game led directly to turnovers, giving Kilkenny the platform to punish Limerick on the counter − a blueprint Galway could look to emulate themselves on Saturday.

Kilkenny's high workrate against Limerick impressed, especially given Limerick have been the market leaders in recent years for hard work

So what are we left with?

Kilkenny, structured and composed, are building a system that merges some of their traditional strengths with tactical nuance. Their passing network shows a team in sync and with a clear identity.

Galway, by contrast, are still searching. They have shown flashes of brilliance but there are questions around their structure and cohesion. Their ability to win ball cleanly and progress it effectively has come in moments, rather than matches.

Both teams will be looking to get their seasons off to a strong start. Expect intensity. Expect tension. And expect some pointers for the season ahead.

Jeffrey Lynskey is an MSc student in Sports Performance Analysis at Setu Carlow and has managed the Galway minor and under-20 teams.