KILKENNY’S CILLIAN Buckley could pocket the first of two potential All-Ireland hurling medals in the space of three weeks when he lines out in Saturday’s Bord Gáis Energy Under-21 decider against Clare (7pm).

Buckley was an unused substitute against Galway in last Sunday’s senior decider but is a guaranteed starter, along with fellow senior panellist Richie Doyle, when Kilkenny face Clare at the weekend.

The Dicksboro clubman insists his focus for now is Kilkenny’s quest for a first under-21 title since 2008. Buckley explained: “Coming up to the [senior] All-Ireland final I spent most of the time with the senior squad but obviously this week I’m back with the under-21s, getting to know the ins and outs of the plans.”

He added: “At the start of the year it was the main goal for us, the one we set out to win, back in January and February when we started training. That was our goal, what we set out to achieve.

“We’re in the All-Ireland final now on Saturday night and we aim to come out as All-Ireland champions.”

Talk of last Sunday’s senior final was off-limits for Buckley, who is tipped by many for a start in the replay with Galway on September 30th. But the 20-year-old, as team captain, chatted freely about the Clare game at an event in Thurles yesterday to promote Saturday’s Thurles double-header (Kildare play Roscommon in the under-21 B final at 5pm).

Kilkenny cruised to the Leinster title before seeing off a Galway side that started with four senior players at the semi-final stage.

Now Kilkenny must overcome a Clare side sprinkled with emerging senior players in what promises to be an entertaining Semple Stadium decider.

Buckley noted: “Over the past year especially we’ve seen the [Clare] under-21 set-up and the senior set-up merge into one, more lads filtering through from under-21 to senior. There’s Conor McGrath, Tony Kelly, Colm Galvin; we’ve seen all those playing for Clare at senior level, but we’ve a few fellas who have played at that level as well and that will have some part to play.

“When we take the pitch on Saturday night though everyone there will be under-21, a different championship.”

Buckley warned: “We played them in a challenge match earlier in the year in Templetuohy. They ran away with the game – they beat us by up 15 to 20 points. If that’s not an indication of their potential . . . we just have to realise how much of a threat they are and deal with their main men from that day.”