Cody reigns once again as true king of Leinster
17 titles and counting for Kilkenny boss as Cats slap down Dublin
NO matter the weather, no matter the circumstances, the Leinster final is Brian Cody’s domain. It seems like it is destined to end like this, with Kilkenny players celebrating on the field while their manager offers words of consolation to his counterpart on the sideline.
This was Kilkenny’s 17th provincial title of Cody’s remarkable reign. Rain or shine, Saturday or Sunday, it doesn’t seem to matter. This is his day. There have only been three occasions in his 23 years as manager when he hasn’t prowled the sideline during the Leinster final.
His teams have won matches in more spectacular fashion than they did last night, but this was still a victory fashioned in all the best qualities of their manager. The unquenchable spirit, the defiance and sense that this was a team performing to the best of their ability.
Even if the consensus is that Cody is not mining as rich a seam of talent as he once did in Kilkenny, they are still finding a way to be relevant. Of course, this team is built around a few key elements. The unerring accuracy of TJ Reid, for one. He ended this game with 1-10, killing off this game as a contest in the 60th minute with a bullet of a penalty.
Reid has had better games in Croke Park but here’s the thing: he scored the first point of the game inside 15 seconds, got the final score of the first half and the first score of the second half. And that decisive penalty. That sort of consistency is crucial for any team with ambitions of being contenders.
Huw Lawlor and Paddy Deegan were excellent in the full-back line, James Maher had a right old dingdong with Danny Sutcliffe on the wing and ended up out-scoring his Dublin counterpart by three points to two.
And then, there’s the bench. Midway through the second-half, Cody called two All-Ireland winners Cillian Buckley and Walter Walsh off the bench while fellow subs Alan Murphy and James Bergin both nailed a brace. That’s six points from the Kilkenny subs, which wasn’t decisive last night but might be later this summer.
It was a disappointing evening for Dublin. The team received a severe blow before throw-in when news emerged that four of their matchday squad – Cian O’Callaghan, Ronan Hayes, Fergal Whitely and Oisin O’Rorke – were stood down due to Covid reasons. O’Callaghan was a vital cog in the full-back line while Hayes was expected to make a nuisance of himself at the edge of the square.
That setback was compounded in the third minute when Eoghan O’Donnell, who had been passed fit, crumpled on the ground. As a dejected O’Donnell left the fray, one had to wonder if the Gods had something against the Dublin hurlers.
To be fair to Mattie Kenny’s side, after a nervous opening period that saw Kilkenny stretch into a four-point lead, they settled. Their leaders stood up. Liam Rushe was making his physicality count at the back while Chris Crummey, who had a fantastic first-half, forced two crucial turnovers, each of them sending a pulse of confidence through his team-mates. Donal Burke fired over his team’s first score to the biggest cheer of the evening before Danny Sutcliffe nailed a fine score after another turnover forced by Crummey.
Sutcliffe was playing a captain’s role and nailed an inspirational score in the 11th minute, lifting the ball over James Maher’s head before splitting the posts. Now, it was Kilkenny’s turn to be nervous. The likes of Eoin Cody and Billy Ryan were finding themselves crowded out, the fluency of their opening five minutes had ebbed away.
Burke’s second point, a free just before the water break, narrowed the margin to only two, 0-6 to 0-4, and sparked the first rendition of ‘C’mon you boys in Blue’ around Croker. Dublin spent the rest of the first-half trying to pierce the cushion of Kilkenny’s early burst.
And it fell to the marvellous Crummey to do just that as he nailed two wonderful scores to bring the teams level for the first time, 0-9 apiece. But the Cats always seemed to have an extra gear. Eoin Cody, who had a quiet first-half, suddenly sparked into life, scoring a point and earning a free just before the break which Reid duly dispatched. Within 90 seconds, Kilkenny were three points up again, 0-12 to 0-9.
And that was the game in a nutshell. For all Dublin’s effort and endeavour, they had to work much harder for their scores. For most of the second-half, they had to rely on Burke’s placed-balls as Kilkenny slipped off into the distance.
For all the younger and unfamiliar players now playing for the Cats. There are a few that have been there and done that. Buckley coming off the bench and careening through for a second-half point is just the sort of score that can break the will of any opponent.
And then, there is the man on the sideline. Who has been here so often before. Still playing every ball. Still making every tackle. Occasionally pulling his black and amber mask to bark instructions.
No matter what, the Leinster final is Brian Cody’s domain. As it always is.
KilKenny: E Murphy; T Walsh, H Lawlor, P Deegan; J Maher, P Walsh, C Browne(M Carey 28); R Reid(C Buckley 46), A Mullen; J Donnelly, M Keoghan, B Ryan(W Walsh 48); E Cody, TJ Reid, R Leahy(A Murphy h-t) ScorerS: TJ Reid 1(pen)-10, (8 frees, 1 65) J Maher 03,J Bergin, A Mullen, M Keoghan, A Murphy 0-2 each, E Cody, J Donnelly, C Buckley, M Carey 0-1 each
WideS: (6) 10 dublin: A Nolan; P Smyth, E O’Donnel(S Moran 3(J Malone 51)), A Dunphy; D Gray, L Rushe, J Madden; R McBride, C Burke; D Sutcliffe, D Burke, C Crummey; C Boland(D Treacy 69), M Schutte( P Crummey h-t), C O’Sullivan(D Keogh 53)
ScorerS: D Burke 0-10, 8 frees, C Crummey, D Sutcliffe 0-2 each C Boland,R McBride, J Malone, D Keogh A Nolan (f) 0-1 each
WideS: (7) 11 referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)