Brian Cody has no qualms about changing a winning team

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody, speaking ahead of Sunday week's All-Ireland hurling final against Tipperary, doesn't subscribe to the commonly held tenet that tinkering with a winning team is beyond the pale.

“We are not hung up at all on having a settled team. A lot of people talk about how important it is to have a settled team. We don’t think like that, definitely.

“I think the importance of the panel is absolute. The trust in our panel is something that we would have very, very much. Even though our panel is not seen now as being particularly strong, I think we are a very, very strong panel. There are serious decisions every day we sit down to pick the team.

“There are no guarantees who will play the next day. I couldn’t name you the team now because I don’t know it. You will go with an instinct for a couple of positions.”

Unwelcome

One player who won't be picked is Michael Fennelly who tore his Achilles' tendon late on in the replay against Waterford.

Injury has been an unwelcome, if frequent, visitor in recent seasons.

Cody explained that the medical team knew the extent of the damage in the dressing-room after the match; the scan simply confirmed the prognosis.

He outlined the loss of Fennelly, on a personal level and also in respect to his absence to the team. “It’s a huge blow for any guy involved in sport. The biggest game of the year and he can’t play in it. Obviously he’s had a huge influence in us getting to the final. No doubt about that. He has it all.

“He’s been a huge influence for us for a long, long time now. He works on it every year and it hasn’t always been easy for him from an injury point of view. This year, he has gotten a better run at it.

“He got a decent bit of work done early on in the year in the whole area of conditioning and physical preparation. I think he was coming into terrific form. I thought the last day he was outstanding. And it’s a massive blow for Michael.

"The biggest thing about injuries is you feel sorry for the player who can't play. Ger Aylward is gone all the year and he can't play. James Maher got an injury early on in the year as well and he was showing decent form.

“I would feel really sorry for him from a personal point of view and so would everyone else. But from a preparation point of view and that it happened in the past, we would always talk about our panel and we would have massive confidence in our panel.

“Michael Fennelly won’t be playing but the fella who comes in in his place won’t be expected to be Michael Fennelly; just come in and do his job for the team.”

Process

Cody spoke about the thought process in making changes. “We looked at the [Waterford] game, looked at the replay and shaking things up a small bit. You go on instinct. It’s a thought you have or an instinct you have to do whatever it is you do. It’s not just me but the lads, Mick [Dempsey] James [McGarry] and Derek [Lyng] the three of us together. We make a decision.

“Richie [Hogan] played a full championship at midfield a couple of years ago; an outstanding midfielder. TJ [Reid] wouldn’t be used to the position from a club point of view. He would have floated in and out of midfield often.

“They’re two very, very good hurlers and capable of playing just about anywhere really; they’re interchangeable. I thought they were decent.”