Galway and Antrim may have been allowed into the Leinster championship, but the Tribesmen need not expect a warm welcome from Kilkenny on Saturday evening.
The Cats may be minus a few regulars, namely Brian Hogan and Noel Hickey that I know of at this stage, but I am convinced that whatever team the Kilkenny management pick they will be anxious to send the Tribesmen back across the Shannon with their tails between their legs.
This is by far the hardest first round game Kilkenny will encounter for years. We are all aware Galway have a habit of getting one over us every now and again, but it has always been the latter stages of the championship when that has happened.
The eagerly awaited head-to-head between the master of fullbacks Noel Hickey and the prolific Galway tallysman Joe Canning is not going to happen in this game. So many of us were looking forward to that clash - in fact there are rumours coming from the west that young Canning is carrying a groin injury into this clash, still I expect him to be on the edge of the square come 7pm throw-in time on Saturday.
I mentioned Brian Hogan and Noel Hickey have been ruled out for definite, but as I pen this article Cha, Kav, Lyngers, and one or two others, are also facing a race against time to be fit.
I'm sure many fans have taken in training in the last few evenings just to see who is and who isn't available for selection. Kilkenny have a strong pool of top-class players to choose from at present and will still be expected to advance without one or two household names.
On the other hand it would be a huge blow to Galway if Canning was missing. I hope, like a lot of Kilkenny fans, he wins his race for fitness. It wouldn't be the same without his presence. Who should pick him up in Hickey's absence has been the centre of much debate this week - John Dalton, Jackie Tyrrell, and JJ Delaney must be on the short list, with the latter in my eyes the most likely to be given the task - Canning's presence won't ruffle the Fenians defender.
The midfield combination is also up in the air - Cha, Lynger, and Michael Rice will all be given until the 11th hour to prove their well-being. Captain Michael Fennelly seems to the only regularly used midfielder who has a clear bill of health, but he too is facing an anxious couple of days to see if he gets the vote of confidence.
Caution will be the order of the day, but I expect the Cats to end Galway’s Leinster run. Surely the thoughts of the Bob O'Keeffe Cup leaving the Marble City to cross the Shannon will see to that. This is the Leinster final.
THE VENUE
The band Take That may have been a spectacular success in Croke Park last Saturday evening, but I remain mystified why they were allowed on our hallowed turf during the busiest time of our sporting calendar.
Their participation in HQ has robbed the hurling public of a potential good double-header next weekend. The GAA's line of thought that it wouldn't attract a sizeable crowd is in my eyes only a smoke screen. I've nothing against Tullamore as a venue, in fact it’s a fine pitch, but the thoughts of getting in and out of that town on Saturday evening is not appealing.
I think this mouth-watering encounter, along with the resurgence of Dublin hurling, would have drawn an adequate crowd to Croker. It wouldn't have been a sell-out, but surely a crowd of 35,000 plus would have turned up. I know plenty of Kilkenny fans who have decided not to travel because of the venue. I reckon the top brass were hoping that Kilkenny and Galway would have avoided each other until the Leinster final, but the balls didn't fall right in the draw for that to happen.
