Leinster SHC - Final/Kilkenny v Wexford:On the evidence of their respective semi-finals, a yawning chasm seems to separate the teams. But tomorrow's Guinness Leinster hurling final should see a more sustained Wexford challenge than has recently been the case.
Kilkenny coped well with Offaly's feisty challenge before hitting the turbo at the end of the third quarter and winning as they wanted. Wexford were better than Dublin in the other semi-final, but have to be concerned by the suicidal goals they conceded at one end and their squanderlust at the other.
Yet, the feeling has to be that under John Meyler there is something more durable and inventive about the team than has been the case since the great win of three years ago.
The NHL semi-final in April is a red herring in that match demands didn't coincide with the imperative of the training schedule, although it's always psychologically risky given the lop-sided record between the teams for Wexford to lie on the ropes and invite big beatings.
It might seem illogical to discount that match and attach significance to the quarter-final defeat of Galway, but there was some good hurling in that unexpected victory.
The Dublin match at least had the merit of putting them through a tight finish while still giving Meyler plenty to work on. Although people could be forgiven the assumption that by converting defenders into central attackers the Wexford manager is taking a primitive approach to redefining his team's forward threat, the team has been more creative and conjured plenty of chances to waste in the semi-final.
How much damage David O'Connor and Darren Stamp can do in the company of Brian Hogan and Noel Hickey is open to question and Brian Cody has options even if alarms start going off centrally.
Kilkenny make a couple of changes to the side that dusted off Offaly. Michael Fennelly and Eoin Reid come in for the players they replaced the last day, Derek Lyng and Aidan Fogarty respectively. The impression remains that were Henry Shefflin to malfunction the team would be vulnerable, but despite a desperately busy year there's no sign of that so far. It will be interesting to see if Declan Ruth can top up the tanks of his reputation for dealing with the Kilkenny captain.
Watching Diarmuid Lyng and James Fitzpatrick go head to head at centrefield will be informative; if the latter flexes his wrists to decent effect, Wexford will struggle to keep the gates shut.
WEXFORD: D Fitzhenry; P Roche, D Ruth, M Travers; R Kehoe, K Rossiter, C Kenny; D Lyng, E Quigley; M Jacob, D O'Connor, S Nolan; N Higgins, D Stamp, R Jacob.
KILKENNY: PJ Ryan; M Kavanagh, N Hickey, J Tyrrell; T walsh, B Hogan, JJ Delaney; J Fitzpatrick, M Fennelly; W O'Dwyer, H Shefflin, E Larkin; E Reid, M Comerford, E Brennan.
Referee: Pat O'Connor (Limerick).
