Tommy Walsh believes Kilkenny’s new look side will have learned a lot from their last gasp victory over Dublin at Parnell Park.
Kilkenny manager Brian Cody fielded seven debutants in their 1-25 to 3-16 win over Pat Gilroy’s side and had Liam Branchfield’s injury-time goal to thank for the triumph.
And former Kilkenny star Walsh believes his county can expect more of the same in the newly remodelled Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.
“I think they will have learned that this is the game now,” Walsh told Oisin Langan.
“There’s no longer one or two powerhouses dominating the game in Ireland or in the province. It’s all about seven or eight teams who can beat anybody on any given day.
“And I would predict, I said it during the week, that there’s going to be a lot of games like that. I’m going down to Munster next week and Limerick are playing Tipperary.
“Two years ago, I would have said that would be a seven or eight point victory for Tipperary. Now lads are saying it’s up in the air.
“What happened today is going to happen for the rest of this round robin series in both Leinster and Munster.”
Despite struggling against the physicality of the Dublin defence, Walsh insists Kilkenny are well able to handle themselves.
“They’re well able to win their own ball including the young players because I know it from club hurling,”
“Martin Keoghan is brilliant to win his own ball, James Maher in midfield and Richie Leahy – these guys are super at winning their own ball.
“I thought they did very well. All you want from young players is for them to mind their own patch. You look at the Dublin team today – who are their stars?
“Its guys who have been around the block a while and the young players came in behind them doing their own thing. And I think that was kind of a mirror image performance from Kilkenny.”
Written by James Hopper
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