Avoiding a Cat mauling is vital

Gerry Buckley looks ahead to the visit of mighty Kilkenny for Westmeath’s Leinster SHC opener this Saturday.

When the Kilkenny senior hurlers were in their absolute pomp in the late noughties the always-hilarious Gift Grub sketch on Today FM’s morning show had a regular contribution from ‘Brian Cody’, aka Mario Rosenstock.

It comprised of an ‘interview’ with the long-serving bainisteoir in which he trotted out a range of standardised platitudes about the Cats’ upcoming opponents, always playing up the opposition in the build-up to the game. Then, when the microphone was meant to be off, he could be clearly heard asking: “Who are we playing anyway?”

Yours truly’s very limited dealings with Kilkenny hurlers of the past through Croke Cup dealings, ironically undertaken in the mid-noughties, invariably produced men who were respectful and humble, but there is still likely to have been a grain of truth in Rosenstock’s take on the all-powerful side in the famous black and amber stripes at their zenith. Who will ever forget their absolute demolition of Waterford in the latter’s long-awaited Liam MacCarthy Cup final appearance in 2008?

In the same way that Dublin footballers’ aura of invincibility has diminished (albeit the margin of their near-certain victory against Offaly/Wexford in the upcoming Leinster SFC will be a hint as to their Sam potential later in the summer), Cody’s charges no longer strike enormous fear into the top hurling counties, and even the few other leading contenders for the Bob O’Keeffe Cup.

Let’s call a spade a spade – Westmeath are not genuine contenders for that impressive trophy. However, after achieving a highly commendable instant promotion back to Division 1 for the spring of 2023, Joe Fortune’s troops will also be targeting the consolidation of a spot in the championship proper for next year.

Let’s continue to call a spade a spade by stating that the aforementioned consolidation is almost certain to necessitate a win against Laois in Portlaoise (is it just me, or do Westmeath always seem to be away in the fixture against the O’Moore County, be it league or championship?) on May 21 in the fifth round robin fixture, as next Saturday’s visitors to TEG Cusack Park (throw-in 6pm), in addition to Dublin and Wexford at the same venue, and a particularly daunting trip to Salthill, are extremely likely to be too much of a step-up for the Lake County lads.

Just how much of a step-up remains to be seen, but with Galway particularly mindful of the fact that scoring difference cost them a slot in the knockout top three in the last pre-Covid championship in 2019, there is likely to be a ‘no mercy’ policy from Henry Shefflin’s charges, the Tribesmen having been caught out as the lowest-placed of the four teams on five points three years ago.

Cody has not garnered the reputation of being the top hurling manager of all-time from a policy of dishing out ‘mercy’, and with places on offer for the tougher challenges ahead – unlike the settled team which dominated the small ball game in the late noughties – it could be an uncomfortable evening for the maroon and white-clad side.

Next Saturday will be the 13th clash between two counties whose paths in the small ball game have taken entirely different routes. It is all of 16 years since Cody patrolled the line in Mullingar in his trademark baseball cap, with Athlone resident and Galway native Seamus Qualter in the opposing dugout, Westmeath having qualified for a showdown with Kilkenny due to an infamous win against Dublin in an O’Moore Park quagmire.

A respectable showing is Westmeath’s target next Saturday evening and one hopes that players’ celebrations after a very impressive Division 2A final win against Down were kept at respectable levels. It seems certain that Noel Conaty will be absent on honeymoon, thereby likely to hand a daunting championship debut to Conor Bracken from St Oliver Plunkett’s.

Kilkenny will win, but let’s hope that Westmeath will win new admirers and that they get great local support on the day.

Two other Westmeath teams are in knockout action ahead of Saturday evening’s clash with the Cats. The U20 footballers travel to Parnell Park on Thursday for a 7.30pm Leinster quarter-final outing against the Dubs. This scribe’s take on Damien Gavin’s troops from an earlier viewing was that they "would score a lot but concede a lot”, and this bore fruit in an enthralling encounter in Baltinglass last Thursday.

As opined earlier, the sky blue and navy jersey no longer puts the fear of God into opponents, but it will still require a massive performance from this well-drilled side to overcome the Metropolitans in their own back yard. The teams have met on 13 previous occasions in the Leinster U21/U20 championship. The Lake County has won twice – in Parnell Park in 1978 (when the Heffo-led renaissance of Dublin football had well and truly put the Dubs at the top of the Leinster pile) and 1995 in Newbridge (in a semi-final victory which garnered a first-ever provincial final appearance for Westmeath in the grade).

A third win is very achievable in two evenings’ time, albeit a slow start similar to what happened against Wicklow is likely to be fatal in Donnycarney.

On Saturday morning at 11.30 in the Netwatch Training Centre, Fenagh, the minor hurlers have a do-or-die tier three meeting with Carlow. A demolition of Derry in Abbotstown last Saturday showed a ruthless streak, albeit against very weak opponents, and it is imperative that all Westmeath's underage hurling teams get exposed to a higher level of opposition. The reward for what would be a highly commendable win on Barrowside would be a preliminary quarter-final against a tier two team. The Conaty-less management are wished well in this task.

Westmeath v Kilkenny - previous Leinster SHC meetings

9/10/1904, Kilkenny w/o, Westmeath scr.

14/6/1914, Croke Park, Kilkenny 7-6, Westmeath 0-1.

18/7/1937, Portlaoise, Kilkenny 5-3, Westmeath 2-4 (Leinster final).

16/6/1940, Athy, Kilkenny 3-16, Westmeath 1-5.

20/5/1956, Tullamore, Kilkenny 6-11, Westmeath 3-9.

12/6/1960, Portlaoise, Kilkenny 6-2, Westmeath 0-3.

4/7/1976, Cusack Park, Kilkenny 5-22, Westmeath 1-12.

20/6/1982, Croke Park, Kilkenny 7-31, Westmeath 0-13.

2/6/1985, Tullamore, Kilkenny 1-30, Westmeath 1-10.

31/5/1987, Portlaoise, Kilkenny 4-20, Westmeath 4-5.

28/5/1989, Tullamore, Kilkenny 4-29, Westmeath 3-5.

10/6/2006, Cusack Park, Kilkenny 1-23, Westmeath 1-9.