We have LIVE commentary of the game here on KCLR on Sunday
ALL-IRELAND FINAL RE-MATCH IN LEINSTER FINAL
It’s back to Croke Park for last year’s All-Ireland finalists, Kilkenny and Galway, when they clash in the GAA Hurling Leinster final next Sunday (4.0).
GALWAY v KILKENNY
It has been a very busy rivalry in recent times, with next Sunday’s game the 10th between them since Galway joined the Leinster championship in 2009. They met twice in 2015-2014-2012.
Galway’s only win from those six games was in the 2012 Leinster final. The 2012 All-Ireland final and the 2014 Leinster semi-final were drawn, while Kilkenny won in the 2015 and 2012 (replay) All-Ireland finals and the 2014 Leinster semi-final replay.
LAST TEN CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES
2015: Kilkenny 1-22 Galway 1-18 (All-Ireland final)
2015: Kilkenny 1-25 Galway 2-15 (Leinster final)
2014: Kilkenny 3-19 Galway 1-17 (Leinster semi-final replay)
2014: Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 5-16 (Leinster semi-final)
2012: Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 3-11 (All-Ireland final replay)
2012: Kilkenny 0-19 Galway 2-13 (All-Ireland final)
2012: Galway 2-21 Kilkenny 2-11 (Leinster final)
2010: Kilkenny 1-19 Galway 1-12 (Leinster final)
2009: Kilkenny 2-20 Galway 3-13 (Leinster semi-final)
2007: Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 1-18 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
Kilkenny 7; Galway 1; Draws 2
PATHS TO THE FINAL
Galway 3-27 Westmeath 0-19 (Leinster quarter-final)
Galway 2-19 Offaly 2-9 (Leinster semi-final)
Galway’s top scorers
Joe Canning….0-16 (0-9 frees, 0-2 ‘65s, 0-1 sideline)
Conor Cooney…1-7
Jason Flynn…. 1-3 (0-1 free)
Kilkenny 1-25 Dublin 0-16 (Leinster semi-final)
Kilkenny’s Top Scorers
TJ Reid…0-10 (0-7 frees, 0-1 ‘65’)
Jonjo Farrell….1-5
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP CLASH
Kilkenny 1-22 Galway 1-18 (2015 All-Ireland final)
Galway led by 0-14 to 1-8 at half-time but much-improved Kilkenny won the second-half by 0-14 to 1-4. They led by seven points in stoppage time before Joe Canning scored a goal to cut the deficit to four points.
TJ Reid on 1-7 led the way for Kilkenny’s nine scorers, while Galway’s Johnny Coen scored an ‘own point’. Joe Canning scored 1-8 and Jason Flynn 0-4 for Galway.
LAST COMPETITIVE CLASH
Kilkenny 0-21 Galway 1-14 (2016 Allianz HL, Nowlan Park, 6 March 2016)
Kilkenny led by 0-16 to 0-8 after 40 minutes before a spirited Galway fightback cut the deficit to a point. However, Kilkenny re-asserted themselves and ran out four-point winners.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The winners qualify for the All-Ireland semi-final on August 7; the losers play in the All-Ireland quarter-final on July 24.
LEINSTER FINAL SHORTS
Galway are bidding to win the Leinster final for the second time since moving east for championship purposes in 2009. They won in 2012 and lost the 2010 and 2015 finals to Kilkenny and the 2013 final to Dublin.
Kilkenny are bidding to win the Leinster title for the 16th time in 19 seasons. They won in 1998-99-2000-01-02-03-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-14-15. They missed out in 2004-12-13.
Other than in 2012 when they were beaten by Galway, Kilkenny haven’t lost a Leinster final since 1997 when they went down to Wexford.
This will be the 42nd championship meeting between Galway and Kilkenny. The Cats lead 30-9 with two draws from the previous 41 clashes.
Micheal Donoghue will be the 7th Galway manager that Brian Cody has come up against since taking over as Kilkenny boss in late 1998. The others were: Mattie Murphy, Noel Lane, Conor Hayes, Ger Loughnane, John McIntyre, Anthony Cunningham.
