The Kilkenny empire strikes back at Desie

HE’S an old war-horse isn’t he? Nothing phases him. Not for him shell-shock in the wake of a set-back. The scars of battle have only served to make him stronger, more resolute, hungrier for ever more graft.

This is a man who simply isn’t willing to give an inch. Midway through the second half on Saturday evening the linesman indicated for a Waterford sideline cut right in front of the Kilkenny bench. It was the wrong call and the referee, Weatmeath’s James McGrath, quickly corrected it, but not before Brian Cody had his say.

His face red, his arms aloft, the man was fury personified. For those of who tut tut at Davy Fitzgerald’s more egregious sideline explosions, this was every bit as bad. Unedifying though it sometimes may be, Cody will use every weapon available to him to gain an advantage.

The very fact of who he is will intimidate officials. He’s the greatest manager the game has ever known. He’s got a well-earned reputation for an oft-abrasive demeanour on the sideline.

He’s gone toe-to-toe with plenty other managers and coaches. Younger men, men like Anthony Daly and Anthony Cunningham. Even if you secretly thrill at the sight of these men fronting up to Cody, there’s probably nobody who relishes it more than the man himself.

The test, the battle, the challenge those are the things which motivate Brian Cody. He’s never happier than when he’s come out the right side of a battle or an epic like last Saturday’s.

That’s the thing about Cody, he wants to be challenged, he wants the pretenders to come in an attempt to knock him off his throne. It validates him, it validates what he’s all about, it’s validates his teams and his players and their achievements.

In his near twenty year involvement with the Kilkenny senior team he’s driven Kilkenny to new heights and, in his slipstream, has brought about a revolution in the game he loves so well.

To stand any chance of competing teams have had to up the ante in a major way. It takes an exceptional team to beat Kilkenny, heck it takes an exceptional team to even live with them.

Last weekend’s two epic semi-finals are a testament to Cody’s enduring influence on the game of hurling. It’s not so much a tactical framework that others can draw upon – although the ‘ah shucks we just go out and play hurling’ routine is a little overdone – it’s about attitude.

An attitude that never says die. An attitude that works and works and works and works some more. It’s clear eyed, it’s unsentimental and, at the same time, still utterly suffused with love and passion for the game and for winning.

He loved that Waterford came as they did. He loved that it was a challenge the likes of which his men hadn’t experienced since the 2014 All Ireland final. He loved how he found it within himself, within his team to overcome yet again.

He loved pulling a rabbit from the hat again, catching us all unawares. Kilkenny’s panel was supposed to be one of the weaker of his tenure. There wasn’t supposed to be a Walter Walsh hiding somewhere in the undergrowth.

Except, of course, there was. Liam Blanchfield emerged, started at half-forward and bagged three points from play. Not for the first time, we could but marvel at the wizardry of Cody. How does he, how do Kilkenny, keep on doing it?

They were exceptionally good on Saturday evening. That the Deise managed to live with them, managed to recover their composure and come back strongly for a finish tells you all you need to know about them.

Two goals from Colin Fennelly in the space of a couple of minutes would be enough to knock most teams off their equilibrium. Not Waterford. They struck back through Jake Dillon.

Kilkenny were on top and did open out a slight lead at the break – three points – but all things considered Derek McGrath wouldn’t have been two disappointed with that. Not with Michael Fennelly lording the game with a magnificent display in the centre of the park.

His brother got the goals and the man of the match award, but for us big brother Michael was the main man on Saturday evening. He did on the pitch what Cody did on the sideline – set the tone, laid down a marker, took not a single backwards step. All season people had been speaking in hushed tones about a possible match up of Fennelly the elder and Michael Breen in an All Ireland final. What a shame that’s not going to happen now following Fennelly’s Achilles injury.

Quite how Cody and Kilkenny cope with his absence it really is hard to say. It’s just got to make them more vulnerable and, yet, you won’t find too many backing against them in the All Ireland final.

The Cody factor is too big to ignore. Even if they look beatable – despite playing really well on Saturday, Waterford could have taken them – the Cats always seem to find a way to win or, at the very least, not to lose.

Tipperary have it all to do.