Shefflin gets his point across

All-Ireland SHC Final Countdown: Henry Shefflin sits down in front of us, throws a Bart Simpson key ring on the table, and folds his arms. There's no paranoia here. The Kilkenny press night has broken from tradition and wheeled out the big stars. Shefflin has the face of a man who doesn't want to waste his time, and doesn't want to waste ours.

The Kilkenny forwards, Henry, you've been moving around a lot, is that something you plan? He gives us that raised-eyebrow look of movie star asked to explain a simple plot. Don't we get it? It's not as if the goalposts are moving as well, are they?

"Sure like most teams in the country most of our forwards can play in any position. It might be Brian Cody is looking for something different at certain stages of the game, or else maybe freshen things up a little. But you don't want to be moving too much either, because it can upset your game a little. You don't mind too much if the ball is coming into your vicinity, and once the goalposts are nearby, that's all that matters."

What's your favourite position? "I don't know. That's a hard one. I probably do prefer centre forward, or wing forward. You're under the dropping ball, with puck-outs always coming down in that vicinity. Full forward is grand if the ball is flying into you, but if the ball isn't coming in it can be a lonely place. And if you do only get the odd ball you feel you have to make something happen with it, so there's a lot more pressure.

"Outside you are a little more involved in the game, including the hitting and the shoving. And you do want to be in the thick of it. But look, it's like watching a children's hurling game sometimes. What do they do only all chase the ball? And that's sometimes the same with us."

At 27 Shefflin has played most of his hurling in the half-forward line, until this year - where's he started Kilkenny's four games this summer at either full forward or corner forward. The result? - 2-39 from four games. Second best is Martin Comerford, who's hit a mere 0-12.

A couple of hours earlier, Shefflin could be seen at full flight at one of Kilkenny's last training sessions at Nowlan Park before Sunday. He has to be watched up close to be fully appreciated. At 6ft 2ins, just over 13 stone, he's pound for pound probably the most forceful yet graceful hurler in the country. In his street clothes, he has the cut of any elite athlete.

He's asked if all this still comes as easy to him, if his hunger for the game and desire to be the best is still as strong as it was when he joined the senior panel in the spring of 1999.

"I think any player will tell you you have to keep working at your game . . . Yeah, I got a good few balls the last day against Clare, but I remember one ball. Derek Lyng went to hit it in, and it broke off Seanie McMahon's hurl, and straight into my path. You need that bit of luck. But of course you're always looking to improve . . . I could easily say I've worked a lot harder this year. But it's about doing the same things, only better. In the past you might feel you're doing your best, but are you really? Sometimes I feel it's like that.

"But for sure the thrill you get from winning big games, like the thrill we got of beating Clare a few weeks back, in a marvellous stadium, that still does it for me."

So to Cork - and all this reversed role play. When the sides last met in the 2004 final Kilkenny were going for the three-in-a-row, and were stopped by Cork. Now Cork are going for the three-in-a-row, and for the first time of any recent meeting will start as favourites.

"That doesn't matter one bit," says Shefflin. "I said the same when we were favourites, it makes no difference. Cork are favourites to win by right. Once the ball is thrown in we know that doesn't matter. That's all in the mind.

"But Cork have proven themselves a great team . . . But we don't need to use the underdogs thing as extra motivation. It's more when teams are written off to the last, like the Kerry footballers. That hasn't happened here. People are saying Cork are favourites, but it's not like they're giving us no chance."

With Shefflin on the team, Kilkenny have a great chance.