KCLR has LIVE commentary of the game on air and online with thanks to Country Style Foods, Grannagh, Kilmacow, Kilkenny
Kilkenny’s hand has been strengthened with the return of a number of players who missed the League Semi-Final defeat to Clare as they commence the defence of their Leinster and All-Ireland titles against Dublin on Saturday evening in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise.
The team has 12 of last years All-Ireland winning starting team as Paul Murphy, the Fennelly brothers Michael and Colin along with Conor Fogarty all return to the starting team, while Eoin Larkin makes his first start of the year having missed the league due to been on Army duty overseas.
As former Dublin Senior manager Humphrey Kelleher told KCLR, the returning players without question make Kilkenny a more formidable outfit, although they will miss the injured Richie Hogan who has been highly instrumental to Kilkenny’s success the past two years.
Jackie Tyrell returns to action to deputise for the injured captain Shane Prendergast, with Shane’s clubmate Lester Ryan captaining the team in his absence.
Lester will line out alongside Conor Fogarty with Michael Fennelly switching to centre-forward.
The subs bench includes the talented Liam Blanchfield from Bennettsbridge who may be introduced at some stage, although with a host of retirements from the past two years and the injuries to the current squad,the lack of strength to depth may prove their undoing later in the Summer.
Dublin easily defeated Wexford, and on their day, they are a formidable force on their day.
However, the inconsistencies that plagued the metropolitans under Anthony Daly continue to remain under Ger Cunningham.
The Portlaoise venue will suit the Dubs and they will have happy memories of the last time the two teams met in the Laois, as Dublin won after a replay on their way to winning a first Leinster title since 1961.
It could be a potential banana skin for Kilkenny, but the returning players mentioned make them a much stronger outfit, and they should progress to a Leinster Final almost certainly against Galway.
FACTS AND FIGURES
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES
2014: Kilkenny 0-24 Dublin 1-9 (Leinster final)
2013: Kilkenny1-16 Dublin 0-16 (Leinster semi-final replay)
2013: Kilkenny 1-14 Dublin 0-17 (Leinster semi-final)
2012: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)
2011: Kilkenny 4-17 Dublin 1-15 (Leinster final)
MOST RECENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Kilkenny 0-24 Dublin 1-9 (2014 Leinster final)
Kilkenny led by 0-13 to 1-6 at half-time and won the second-half by 0-11 to 0-3. TJ Reid scored 0-10 for Kilkenny.
MOST RECENT CLASH
Kilkenny 0-23 Dublin 1-14 (Allianz HL, 20 March, 2016, Nowlan Park)
TJ Reid scored 0-11 for Kilkenny while David Treacy was Dublin’s top scorer on 0-5.
HOW THEY FARED SO FAR IN 2016
Kilkenny topped the 1A table and beat Offaly in the quarter-final before losing to Clare in the semi-final, leaving them with five wins and two defeats from seven games.
Dublin finished third in 1B and lost the quarter-final to Limerick. Their record for the campaign was: Played 6, Won 3, Lost 3.
This will be Kilkenny’s first outing in the championship, whereas Dublin already have a win behind them, beating Wexford by 2-19 to 0-12 in the Leinster quarter-final.
MANAGEMENT
Brian Cody is in his 18th season with Kilkenny; Ger Cunningham is in his second year with Dublin.
DID YOU KNOW?
Dublin’s win in the 2013 Leinster semi-final replay was their first championship success over Kilkenny since 1942.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The winners play Galway or Offaly in the Leinster final on July 3; the losers enter the All-Ireland qualifiers on July 2.
BRIAN CODY v DUBLIN
Brian Cody is in his 18th season as Kilkenny manager. In that period, they have played Dublin ten times in the championship, winning eight, losing one and drawing one.
2000: Kilkenny 3-16 Dublin 0-10 (Leinster semi-final)
2003: Kilkenny 3-16 Dublin 0-10 (Leinster semi-final)
2004: Kilkenny 4-22 Dublin 0-8 (All-Ireland qualifier)
2009: Kilkenny 2-18 Dublin 0-18 (Leinster final)
2010: Kilkenny 4-19 Dublin 0-12 (Leinster semi-final)
2011: Kilkenny 4-17 Dublin 1-15 (Leinster final)
2012: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)
2013: Kilkenny 1-14 Dublin 0-17 (Leinster semi-final)
2013: Dublin 1-16 Kilkenny 0-16 (Leinster semi-final replay)
2014: Kilkenny 0-24 Dublin 1-9 (Leinster final)
