His first year in the job and already Derek Lyng seems to be leaving an all-too familiar imprint on the Kilkenny senior hurling team.
The toughness, the work-rate, the never-say-die attitude that emboldened teams under Brian Cody, is now very much to the fore in Lyng's stewardship. The latter won six All-Irelands as a player, when managed by Cody. The pair would subsequently work together on the sideline, with Lyng taking on the role of selector as the Cats went on to land two more All-Irelands.
It's been said that Cody could see management traits in Lyng from an early stage, cajoling the Emeralds clubman to get his team-mates psyched up for the game in question.
And so into management. In 2019, Derek Lyng succeeded DJ Carey as Kilkenny U-20 boss. Ultimate success came his way last year after the Cats defeated Limerick to claim All-Ireland glory.
After Master Cody called time on his long tenure with the seniors, the county board sought out Lyng for the post. The appointment was made. A seamless transition it would seem, with the black and amber reaching a league final and now an All-Ireland final under Lyng's watch.
Kilkenny's place in next Sunday's Croke Park decider against Kilkenny is well merited. At various stages against Galway and Clare, they looked like they were in trouble, letting leads slip but only to regain the initiative when it mattered.
Cillian Buckley's last-gasp-goal against the Tribes in the Leinster final and Eoin Cody's green flag in the battle with Clare underlines Kilkenny's resolve, along with Eoin Murphy's spectacular injury-time save to deny Peter Duggan a fortnight ago.
On Kilkenny's knack of pulling things out of the fire, Lyng told RTÉ Sport: "From time to time we slip out of a game for a few minutes but the reality is that when you're playing top opposition they get a run on you as well, they get their spell.
"It's about how you respond to that. At all times we have responded in a really good manner. We've got a contribution from the bench. The attitude from our players, when the going gets tough, they still look for the ball, and are capable of making those tough decisions on the pitch.
"You need players to take on that responsibility, we have a number of those players. It's about developing that even further, we'll need more of it for what lies ahead. The improvement will need to be there but I think we're more than capable of doing that."
It would seem that the camp under Lyng's stewardship is a happy, with the manager full of praise for the players' input so far.
"The attitude and the commitment the players have shown is second to none; they have been outstanding," he said.
Highlights from Kilkenny's win over Clare
"I don't think you respond in the manner that you do in games unless you're putting the work in, these fellas have been doing it since we've come together as a group. We enjoy it hugely. If you have an environment where people are challenging each other I think it's really important. We get to represent Kilkenny and it's a fantastic place to be."
As for the challenge of stopping Limerick's four-in-a-row bid, Lyng is aware of the quality facing his side but is also keen to stress that he also has a good crop to work with.
"Every game you play against opposition you learn something from them. They [Limerick] are a fantastic team and are going rightfully for four in a row, they deserve that right, so that's the challenge that lies ahead. It's also about looking ourselves, we've been pretty decent this year and are focusing on our own strengths as well and making sure we bring them into the game.
"Our focus is on where we can get better."
Watch the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championships semi-finals this Saturday, Tipperary v Waterford at 3.30pm and Cork v Galway at 5.30pm, live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to radio commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship final, Limerick v Kilkenny, this Sunday from 2.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio.
