by James McMahon
Tipperary captain Eoin Kelly is relishing another All-Ireland hurling final appearance and feels the side has many leaders on the field as they prepare to battle the Cats again.
Watch live coverage of Tipperary v Kilkenny on The Sunday Game Live from 2.15pm on RTÉ Two (available Island of Ireland on www.rte.ie/gaa or listen on RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (available worldwide on www.rte.ie/gaa).
The Mullinahone player is the county's top championship goalscorer of all time and on Sunday will bid to become the first man to lead a Premier side to back-to-back titles since 1965.
Speaking to RTÉ's Brian Carthy, Kelly claims that he is not overburdended by the captaincy role, stating that Tipperary have many players who can step up to the mark when required. He explained: "When I was asked to captain the team for 2011 I was delighted. But we have more than one leader on the team and I think for any squad to be successful you need that.
"Thankfully, the current Tipp squad has many leaders – and this comes through on nights when training is tough in January and February and on big match days."
On the difference going in as champions, as compared to stopping Kilkenny's bid for a 'five in a row' last year, Kelly thinks the change of management has helped to focus minds. He added: "The new management, under Declan Ryan, has brought about a freshness and (this has) coupled with the arrival of a new faces in the squad.
"Our plan this year was to take every match on its merits, starting with Cork in the Munster championship and then Clare. The first goal was to win Munster and then get back to the All-Ireland series.
"After that was to get to the All-Ireland final itself and thankfully we have achieved that."
Tipperary failed to reach the heights when accounting for Dublin in the semi-final - prompting some pundits to say that the clash was the ideal match for any team ahead of a final. Kelly is not sure about this assertion and said: "I suppose it’s something I can’t answer until after the Kilkenny match.
"Against Waterford we were flying. On reflection, it was something of a freak result when you consider how they played against Galway the next day and the manner in which they then put it up to Kilkenny.
"As for Dublin, maybe our supporters and the media thought it was going to be easy, but we knew we would have a battle on our hands. That’s how it turned out, but we got through it and reached the final. That’s what it’s all about."
