Gaelic Games News round-up Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody has no fear of complacency or over-confidence, even if his team are unbeaten in 11 league and championship games, stretching back for over a year. Cody will once again name his strongest team for Sunday's meeting with Laois, and says talk of winning streaks or unbeaten records is "only for the statistician".
After the six-point loss to Galway on March 10th of last year, Kilkenny went on an unbeaten run to claim the league title the following May and the All-Ireland title in September. They beat Waterford and Galway in their first two Division 1A league games this season, although they did lose the Walsh Cup final to Dublin last month.
"To be honest I wasn't aware how many league or championship matches we'd won in a row," says Cody. "We only think about the next game and winning that, and we'll be treating next Sunday's game the very same.
"All this talk of winning streaks and the amount of games we've won is only for the statistician. But not us. Of course it's nice to put a few victories together but we want to win every game, and go out to win every game."
While Cody has a naturalaversion to complacency, he is not concerned either about extending the winning streak. "The thing about these winning streaks is they always come to an end. You always have teams getting a good run together, then they're beaten and it's all forgotten about. So winning streaks have never really mattered to me and they certainly don't matter now."
The team to play Laois will be finalised after training tonight, and Cody will maintain his policy of naming his best 15. DJ Carey remains out of contention with a broken finger, and Andy Comerford is also sidelined. He is hopeful Charlie Carter makes his return, and that the illness which kept Henry Shefflin out of last Sunday's game will have passed.
While Cody has experimented with players in recent weeks, and none more successfully than his latest find, Tommy Walsh, at midfield, there won't be sweeping changes from the team that beat Galway last Sunday. Laois, who have already lost to both Clare and Waterford, could be in for a tortuous afternoon.
"I wouldn't view any league game as a game to experiment," notes Cody. "We have a panel of 30 players and I'll be picking the team that I think will be best suited to win. With the new league system as well you want to win by as many points as possible because that counts now for the second series of games.
"And from what I've been told Laois put up a very good display against Waterford last weekend. I know they have been making very good strides down there and Paudie Butler has taken very well to his new position as manager.
"In fact we played them four or five weeks ago in a challenge game and they beat us well. Both teams were trying out a lot of new players that day but it was obvious that Laois had the makings of a very good side."
The fifth round of the hurling league scheduled for Sunday March 30th, looks certain to see some adjustment after tonight's meeting of the Games Administration Committee, to avoid a clash with Ireland's potential Grand Slam Six Nations match against England at Lansdowne Road.
Chairman Páraic Duffy says every option will be examined, but most likely games would simply be played later in the afternoon. The GAC will be awarethat summertime hours begin the night before and 3.0 throw-ins would be no longer be required.
TIPPERARY (SH v Wexford): B Cummins; J Devane, P Maher, B Dunne; E Corcoran, A Butler, B Horgan; T Dunne, C Morrissey; M O'Leary, C Gleeson, B O'Meara; E Kelly, G O'Grady, L Corbett.
