Kilkenny’s Michael Fennelly has warned his team-mates that the Tipperary side they will face in Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC final is better than the one they met 12 months ago.
On that occasion the men from the Premier County went ever so close to downing the Leinster kingpins, only for two late goals to swing the tide in favour of Brian Cody’s men.
And despite that morale-sapping defeat, Fennelly thinks the experience will have done Sunday’s opponents some good and says they are a huge threat to the ultimate completion of the unprecedented five-in-a-row that the Cats aim to secure by Sunday tea-time.
"Tipperary seem to have a lot more subs to come in this season,” midfielder Fennelly, the Cats’ 2009 captain was quoted as saying by the Irish Independent.
“They've not the same dependence on certain forwards like last year, they're after reshuffling their backs, forwards and midfield and have no set team as such and I think they're stronger. After restructuring the team they can actually bring lads in and out of positions, which is a definite addition.
"They've a couple of young lads but they also have the All-Ireland final experience from last year, which will stand to them. They've a good few of those lads who won two minor All-Irelands in a row, and they're also in the U21 final, so experience is not an issue with them.
"Last year Tipp out-hurled us for a good bit of the match. We did up our game in the last 10 minutes but they'd chances as well, and (Kilkenny goalkeeper) PJ Ryan pulled off two or three miraculous saves, so it could have gone either way."
Meanwhile, there has been some speculation that Jackie Tyrell could move to Kilkenny's problem centre back position for the final, with John Tennyson and Brian Hogan both out injured.