The win over Offaly was very important in the Semi-Final. Conor Cooney got us off to a great start and we kicked on from there to control the game and win well.
Again we switched off in the second half and took the foot off the pedal. When you do that at this level you get punished and Offaly made us pay by running up a good score. However, we got the win which is what it's all about and we have been working very hard in training since to make the necessary improvements for the next day.
The whole squad is looking forward to Sunday. We have trained well since the Offaly game and everyone is fit and ready to go. We are obviously aware of the huge task that lies ahead. Kilkenny have been the benchmark for the past decade and have a very impressive record in Leinster. They bring huge physicality to the game, work extremely hard to get possession and have deadly forwards. They made short work of Dublin in the semi-final and had the game killed off by half time. We are well aware that our intensity and tackle rate will have to go up another few levels on the Offaly game to compete. A good start is a must and we cannot afford to let the concentration levels drop at any stage. Anthony and the lads have left no stone unturned and the work is done now. It will be a monumental battle, but the goal at the start of the year was to win a Leinster Final and we have 70 minutes to achieve it on Sunday.
Fergal
