All-Ireland Colleges SH A final Preview: St Kieran's College will have an anxious wait to see if Richie Power is passed fit to line out in the All-Ireland Colleges hurling final this afternoon against St Raphael's, Loughrea.
Power, who captained Kilkenny to minor All-Ireland glory last year, broke his toe playing in a challenge match for the county under-21s three weeks ago and a decision will not be made on his availability until this morning.
His loss would be keenly felt and may even force Paddy Power bookmakers to rethink the 1 to 5 odds they have afforded the Kilkenny giants.
Power, whose father of the same name is a former All-Star, has played a pivotal role in the progress of Kieran's this far, scoring 21 points in their three championship matches to date.
Maurice Nolan is also doubtful after a recent knee operation.
Kieran's already have two trophies as they added the Leinster crown to their Leinster league triumph with a victory over St Peter's.
In the All-Ireland semi-final they beat St Flannnan's 0-17 to 1-8, with Power registering eight of those scores.
They do have other players more than capable of taking on the mantle of match winners, including another of last year's county minors, Donnacha Cody, a son of Kilkenny manager Brian.
The brothers Patrick and Richie Hogan and Neil and Shane Prendergast will also take some stopping.
St Raphael's are trained by Cyril Farrell and boast several decent players - among them Ian Byrne, Francis Kerrigan and Kevin Hoynes - which should ensure a competitive encounter.
However, Power or not, it is very difficult to see Kieran's being denied back-to-back national titles.
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