GAELIC GAMES:"IT IS an All-Ireland final and you don't want to turn it into a tactical affair. Both sides are going to put out 15 players and will go man for man, and whoever is hungrier over the 70 minutes will come out on top."
Do you believe Richie Power? The Kilkenny players and Brian Cody were adamant at their recent media night there will be no sweeper prowling their defence on Sunday.
This is Kilkenny – they go out and hurl you to death. Only problem is that plan was flipped on its head last September. By the gangling runs of Lar Corbett.
Rumours are rife. There is talk of the squad training at secret locations, murmurings of the dethroned Kilkenny hurlers willing to do whatever it takes to wrestle back Liam.
Understandably, teams have employed a sweeper to negate the goal-scoring threat posed by Power and Henry Shefflin.
“It might stem from the fact we have been so successful over the last few years,” said Power last week. “Still, there hadn’t been too many teams that have played the sweeper against us. Dublin did it last year and Waterford played it this year.
“I don’t think it affects the overall play too much. You start off in your position and you go out to win your own position and try and get the better of your own man and if you do, you are doing your job.”
Power is a blueblood in the greatest hurling patch of all. A fantastic minor in ’02 and ’03, All-Ireland success was also replicated at colleges level with St Kieran’s.
Everyone who knows their hurling could only smile when first seeing his name on underage team sheets. Another Richie Power!
“Dad played in All-Irelands in the 1980s and 1990s. I can’t remember too much of the goings on, on the days, but I definitely remember ’92 and ’93, going up to those finals and the excitement that was around.”
He may have been with his Dad on those days as Richie senior retired after defeat to Tipperary in the 1991 All-Ireland final.
“From a very early age growing up I was hoping and praying that some day that I’d get a chance to play in an All-Ireland final and I have done that. This All-Ireland coming up could be my last so you have to savour it and give it your all because you don’t know if you will be back there again.”
The son is a man now with two more Celtic Crosses than his father. Richie senior does have one more All Star though, but that may be addressed very soon.
There is enormous expectation placed on his shoulders but Power likes having the old man around.
“I don’t think I felt any pressure but advice-wise, I feel I would not have been where I am today without Dad. He has been there and through it all, won his All Stars but it all comes down to one thing and that is working hard.
“He drills it into me every day I go out with the club and county and if you do that and come off the field as if you need to be carried off it you can’t do too much more than that.”
Richie Power
Position: centre forward.
Age: 25.
Club: Carrickshock.
Height: 6ft.
Weight: 13st.
Occupation: Sales rep, Kinetica Sports.
Championship debut: v Offaly 2005 (scored 1-1).
Honours: 4 All-Ireland SHC (2006-09), 7 Leinster SHC (2005-11), 3 NHL (2005, 2006, 2009), 1 All Star (2010), 2 All-Ireland under-21s (2004, 2006), 2 All-Ireland minors (2002, 2003), 2 All-Ireland colleges (2003, 2004).
