Preview- Kilkenny champions Shamrocks searching for form ahead of Leinster Final
The Ballyhale club face St Martin's in Croke Park on Saturday night at 6.30pm
Shamrocks Ballyhale will be in the bright lights of Croke Park on Saturday night as they face St Martin’s of Wexford at 6.30pm in the Leinster senior decider and it's very familiar territory as they’ve contested two of the four deciders at GAA HQ since the province decided to play both the senior football and hurling deciders on the same day.
The Kilkenny champions beat Clough Ballacolla (Laois) in 2021 before then accounting for Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) a year later. After a three-year absence, they will be keen to win a 13th provincial crown on Saturday night.
In contrast, St Martin’s will become the first Wexford team since Oulart the Ballagh a decade ago to contest the marquee fixture, but they come into the game with huge momentum on the back of impressive victories over defending All-Ireland champions Na Fianna and Kildare winners Naas.
With the O’Connor brothers, Jack and Rory, as well as their cousin Barry leading the charge, Martin’s will cause a huge threat to the Ballyhale side. Henry Shefflin will know that his Shamrocks team will need to produce their best display of 2025 to prevail.
With Adrian Mullen missing out with his broken thumb, a lot of expectation in attack will land on the shoulders of Eoin Cody and TJ Reid. Although the star duo were a bit quieter in the three-point win over Clough Ballacolla, they still got vital scores when the game was in the melting pot.
It’s down the other end where bigger could worries lie with Rory O’Connor’s pace and skill made for somewhere like Croke Park. How he’s dealt with will go a long way to deciding the destination of the O’Neill Cup.
Shamrocks do have capable defenders at their disposal in the shape of Killian Corcoran, Joey Holden, Richie Reid and Darragh Corcoran, so they will be hoping, as a group, that they can withstand the obvious threat that the O’Connors bring.
Going into Croke Park will give this game a much different feel to anything we have witnessed in the recent months and a top quality contest is expected.
The experience of Henry Shefflin on the sideline can’t be discounted either and his presence and will to win should be enough to eke out a little improvement once they hit the Jones Road on Saturday night.
Shamrocks have been here before and know how to get it done, so you’d be a fool to back against them - but Martin’s can’t be discounted either, with Munster winners Ballygunner lying in wait for the winners in a fortnight’s time.