All just a little bit of history repeated; HURLING KILKENNY v GALWAY, TULLAMORE, TONIGHT, 7.00PM.

Byline: MICHAEL SCULLY

HISTORY is in the making in Tullamore this evening but for Tommy Walsh, it's simply another hurdle for Kilkenny to overcome in their quest to remain the best.

Galway's first ever game in the Leinster hurling Championship couldn't be tougher as it comes against Brian Cody's four-in-a-row All-Ireland hopefuls.

But four-time All-Ireland winner Walsh reveals that the manner in which Tipperary put it up to Kilkenny in the League final has provided a perfectly-timed reminder that the Cats cannot take their number one status for granted.

"It's very tough when people are telling you you're a great team and you're going to run away with the Championship," the 26-year-old admitted.

"The toughest thing for any team is to keep that out of the camp - and the final was great to bring us back down to earth, to show that even if we are good on the day we can be beaten.

"Kilkenny can be beaten, no matter if we're in good or bad form, because in any Championship match it isn't all going to be one-sided.

It's a big help come Championship that no-one runs away with themselves." Cody would-n't have allowed that anyway - and he certainly would have rammed Walsh's point home since the draw was made a fortnight ago and Kilkenny were paired with the men from Galway.

It's not just that the Cats have a proud provincial record in the modern era - remarkably they have only missed out on the title once since their 1998 triumph, in 2004 to Wexford - but also the fact that Galway have threatened to knock Kilkenny off their Championship perch on several occasions in recent years.

But while there have been mutterings of complaint within the province over the decision to include Galway and Antrim, Walsh is having none of it.

"It surely does add to it," he insisted. "Galway are a top team and Antrim have made fierce strides.

"It will definitely toughen up the Championship to have an extra two teams in Leinster, it will make it a tougher championship to win. So we're looking forward to the challenge.

"They're in, and I don't mind. If they weren't in, I wouldn't mind either. You have to beat any team to go on and win the All-Ireland.

"We always had it in our minds that if you go back to 2004 we were beaten by Wexford and there were a few close matches in the Leagues and Walsh Cups where they ran us close.

"So we've always realised that we can be beaten on any given day. So while they're tough matches against Offaly and Wexford, adding Galway and Antrim into it makes it tougher to win because they're two top teams."

The Tullaroan clubman has five Leinster titles to his name but that doesn't affect his thinking on the matter.

"What I would say is it's a great help to Galway because I know that they would be crying out for extra championship matches," he said.

"Wouldn't it be great for Leinster if Offaly or Wexford were playing Galway? And it would be great for their confidence if either of them went on and beat Galway. It will help all the teams, Galway and the Leinster counties."

Walsh reiterates that the secret to Kilkenny's success lies in the remarkable conveyor belt that keeps churning out star players who quickly buy into an unbreakable team spirit fostered by Cody.

And it lies in the fear that the same conveyor belt is producing players who are eyeing up the positions currently held by the likes of Walsh and his experienced colleagues.

"First and foremost you're afraid," he acknowledged. "There's no point in being cocky because you'll be dropped, if it's not good for the team you'll be gone.

"You don't want to miss out on big match days, that's what you train for."

The latest in a long line was the ferocious League final, when it took Kilkenny every ounce of their beings to see off Tipp in Thurles and occasionally players crossed the line.

"That's what Championship is all about - where your back is to the wall and you're asking yourself, 'are we going to win this?' - and you go out and give it a lash and give it your best," he said.

"The League final is more about where both teams are at, you go for it and are in each other's faces. There are physical battles all over and it's just flat-out. That's the reality of what Championship is going to be like."

The six-time All Star added: "Listen, hurling's a tough game. I don't think there was anyone injured badly because of dirty tackles or nastiness or anything like that.

"Both teams were just so determined and there's a fierce rivalry there - the whole of Semple Stadium was up for that match. That's what leads to those physical battles.

"I definitely wouldn't have any complaints. Everyone is praising it as a great match and if you took the physicality out of it, would it have been as good? "Tipperary were very tough and that was great. You get great satisfaction out of coming out of that.

"They hit us with absolutely everything in terms of skill, scoring goals at the right stages and hitting us physically. It was great that we were able to match it."

MATCH VERDICT

THAT Galway have beaten Kilkenny twice in the hurling Championship in this decade is enough to ensure Kilkenny won't go into tomorrow's big Leinster semi-final with any ounce of complacency, but their close-call against Tipp in the League final should already have taken care of that for Brian Cody.

But Galway can use those victories - in 2001 and '05 - to adopt a positive attitude going into this eagerly-awaited Tullamore encounter, and the fact that Joe Canning has shaken off a serious injury scare to make the line-up is another major boost.

The absence of Noel Hickey to mark the young marksman is another problem for the Cats but it's hard to see them falling at this hurdle. Kilkenny's dominance to continue, hopefully after a cracking clash.

Verdict: KILKENNY

CAPTION(S):

OFF THE BAT Tommy Walsh has been a key performer for Cats HISTORY MAKER John McIntyre takes his Galway side to face Killkenny in the Leinster Championship FOCUS Tommy Walsh insists Kilkenny cannot afford to take Galway for granted