Can Kilkenny get the job done this weekend?
Sky Sports pundit Jamesie O’Connor has tipped Brian Cody to have his Kilkenny side primed and ready to go for their upcoming All-Ireland semi-final showdown against Clare at Croke Park this weekend.
The Cats take on the beaten Munster finalists after easing past Galway in the Leinster decider, as they claimed the Bob O’Keefe Cup.
But they have lost their last two All-Ireland semi-finals against Waterford, although O’Connor believes that the legendary Kilkenny boss will not ‘stomach’ a third on the spin.
“You’ve got to trust Cody. His semi-final record was impeccable up to two years ago..”
Writing in his column for Sky Sports, O’Connor outlined how he saw the game going between the two sides, and how Kilkenny could manage their four-week break.
“The Cats struggled for form at times during the Leinster round-robin but did enough to retain the Bob O’Keeffe Cup,” he wrote.
🤝There was a bit of a wait but the sequel to the ‘Handshake’ did occur between Brian Cody and Henry Shefflin #RTEGAA #LeinsterFinal pic.twitter.com/GeChTXOBLq
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 4, 2022
“They have had a four-week break. Nobody has managed that better over the years than Brian Cody.
“Four weeks is ideal. Throughout the round-robin, you don’t get a chance to get a block of work done in training.”
He added: “You’ve got to trust Cody. His semi-final record was impeccable up to two years ago.
“They lost to Waterford in 2020, Cork in 2021. There’s no way he will stomach three semi-final defeats in a row. Kilkenny will be massively motivated.”
Brian Cody.
While Cody may not have been able to steer Kilkenny to an All-Ireland final in a number of years, he will be buoyed that they can build on their promising performance in the Leinster final against Galway.
With a win against the Banner, there is a possibility that they may meet the Tribesmen again in a final, with Henry Shefflin’s side facing Limerick at GAA HQ this weekend.
Kilkenny face Clare at 5.30pm on Saturday evening, while Limerick take on Galway at 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
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