Galway team manager Anthony Cunningham was extremely pleased with the workrate and performance of the team.
"We were very happy with the workrate. If you don't have workrate and don't bring intensity to the play, you're not going to have any chance against Kilkenny. Everyone is learning from Kilkenny and we brought a bit of that intensity today and we're delighted with that.
"We're delighted with the win. We've been going well in training and we've put a lot of work into it, and it is great when it works out on the day. We're delighted to be the first Galway team to have won Leinster."
Tactically, Cunningham said his side played in the same way they have for most of the season.
"The game you saw last Sunday is the game you saw against Offaly and Westmeath, and we've been playing like that in some of the matches in the league. There is a lot of skill in these hurlers, both at underage and senior. We think we've got a good mix. Really, it's working hard with Mattie [Kenny] and Tom [Helebert] and putting a package together.”
Cunningham has been around top-class sport for many years and he knows that last Sunday will be not count for an awful lot unless it can be built on.
“We’ve had great days in Croke Park in the past and not built on them. We need consistency – that is the big challenge for us now – players and management. It [consistency] hasn’t always been there but we’ll work on it. It will be our new mantra.”
