GAELIC GAMES UNDER-21 HURLING FINAL: IAN O'RIORDANon how while the seniors' epic win might have taken the pressure off them, it will actually spur the under-21s on in Sunday's final

IN SOME ways the pressure is off Kilkenny going into Sunday’s All-Ireland under-21 final hurling. While they are the defending champions, against first time finalists Clare, with the Kilkenny seniors having just won their epic four-in-a-row over Tipperary last Sunday it would seem anything else now would be a bonus prize.

In other ways the pressure is on. Whenever a Kilkenny hurling team lose – no matter what the grade – it’s taken as a sign of a potential demise, and if this crop of under-21 players are to make it to the senior grade, winning may well be everything.

Truth is, manager Michael Walsh makes no secret of the fact the success of the Kilkenny seniors is ultimately what drives under-21 success, not the other way around, and he gets a reminder of that anytime he goes to Nowlan Park to watch the seniors train under Brian Cody.

“There is always talk about the hurling talent in Kilkenny,” says Walsh, “but it certainly doesn’t fall off shelves. The benchmark is our senior team and when these under-21s see how committed and hard working they are then they know what they have to do as regards work-rate and commitment to have any chance.

“Of course not every team is going to do what this Kilkenny senior team has done. For Kilkenny to do it in the modern age, when nobody thought it possible, is a phenomenal achievement. “So in that regard care has to be taken comparing people to other people; every team is different.

“But I would watch the seniors train quite regularly. Especially in the quieter times, when the mania of the All-Ireland and the huge crowds wouldn’t be there. You watch them and see what they are doing so why go away from that, if it is the proven article?

“That doesn’t mean every team is as good as them. But you would be hoping our players would come through in years to come and if they are at least doing the same things they will have an idea.”

Walsh is well positioned to make comparisons between senior and under-21, as a winner of senior All-Irelands in 1992 and 1993.

And speaking of pressure, he says Sunday’s final at least doesn’t have the burden of last year – when his under-21s were seeking to complete the

Kilkenny Grand Slam of senior, under-21, minor and intermediate titles.

“It was massive. The minute Monday night’s senior homecoming ended it was just huge. Under-21 All-Irelands are big events in themselves but it became a massive event because of the Grand Slam and everybody wanted that.

“It wasn’t so much for me and the management team, we took the brunt of the pressure, but the young fellas themselves are only 18, 19, 20 years of age, and it was a huge thing on them. That is why I would regard last year’s win as massive because it is very hard to shield them away from it. We didn’t, there was no point, and thankfully we got the result.”

Sunday’s final against Clare presents a different challenge; whereas Kilkenny have fairly coasted to the final, Clare have produced several epics, not least their semi-final win over Galway. Walsh will need all his players at full fitness, particularly his sole senior panellist, Richie Hogan, who has been carrying an ankle injury since Sunday’s win over Tipperary.

“It is still quite swollen as we speak so we will have to see how the swelling goes down. He is going to get physio but we won’t know until the swelling goes down to asses the damage. He is a massive leader and a massive player for us. Obviously we would be hoping he would be okay.”

When reflecting on last Sunday’s final, Walsh also paid tribute to Kilkenny goalkeeper PJ Ryan – not just his performance but his patience in getting his chance with Kilkenny: “First of all his save from (Waterford’s) Eoin Kelly in the semi-final was the best save I have seen in a long, long time. In importance his save from Séamus Callanan last Sunday was also huge. He has always been a fantastic goalkeeper and I suppose on Sunday he got the chance to show exactly that.

“I was also 28, 29 when I got my chance with Kilkenny, he was something similar. He bided his time. PJ’S own father was substitute to Noel Skehan for a couple of years as well and didn’t get the chance. He was also an excellent goalkeeper. Of course it still rankles with a lot of Kilkenny people that James McGarry never got an All Star. An All-Ireland medal is the most important thing but for his efforts during the years he certainly deserved, in my opinion one or two. But with PJ I do expect that to be corrected this year.”