There was a time when 'don't change a winning team' was an accepted way of thinking in hurling and football, but not anymore.

Obviously, it still applies quite a lot, but there are times when change is advisable. Liam Sheedy did it for the All-Ireland semi-final, bringing Séamus Kennedy in for James Barry in a Tipperary re-shaped defence.

It was a horses-for-courses decision, based on Wexford's set-up, which usually features only five forwards and continuous movement.

Sheedy calculated that Kennedy suited that type of game more than Barry, a decision that was vindicated, although not without some tricky moments in the first half, in particular.

Kennedy played very well, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back on the sub's bench - at least at the start - for the final. That would be no reflection on him, but rather a tactical tweak based on playing Kilkenny rather than Wexford.

Curbing Colin Fennelly will have featured high on Sheedy's 'things to do' list over the last two weeks.

Quite right too, since Fennelly is having an excellent season at full-forward. Indeed, he's playing as well as at any time in his career, which is exactly what Kilkenny needed this season.

He knows exactly what he's doing, his confidence is high and he sinks goals when the chance arises. In fairness to him, he often makes those chances happen by taking on his opponent with a direct run. Once he gets possession and turns, he's very hard to stop.

He has the look of a man who's saying 'give me the ball and I'll do damage,' as indeed he did against Cork in the quarter-final and Limerick in the semi-final. He scored a goal in both of those games and also picked off three points against Limerick, who usually are so tight in the full-back area.

So when Sheedy and his fellow strategists examine ways of limiting Fennelly's impact, they will look at it from two angles.

One: the need to cut off his supply lines, which involves outfield players working hard to prevent Kilkenny men picking him out. Neither Cork nor Limerick did that particularly well and paid a heavy price.

Two: the requirement to have an experienced marker alongside Fennelly all the time. That's where Barry comes back into the equation.

He has his difficulties from time to time over the years, but he's an experienced full-back, who knows all the angles in a specialised role, especially against the likes of Fennelly.

If I were in Sheedy's shoes, I'd bring Barry back in. Alternatively, he could put Barry Heffernan on Fennelly, but my hunch is that he'll go with Barry. Other than that, I wouldn't expect any change on the Tipp team.

Reserve

The five subs who came in against Wexford all did well, but could be held in reserve again. Games are running for 75/76 minutes nowadays so lots of options are needed.

Kilkenny's subs made an impact too in the semi-final, but most - if not all - may have to start on the bench again, too. Cillian Buckley, who replaced Richie Leahy, could be an exception, but that depends on his fitness levels.

He hasn't looked quite right yet, but has had a few extra weeks to sharpen up, which could prove crucial.

He's a big day player and would give Kilkenny a big boost if he were back to the levels we all know he is capable of reaching. The closer the big day gets, the more appealing it's becoming.

Kilkenny v Tipperary - whether in Championship or League - have provided many of the best games over the last decade and there's every reason to believe it will be the same again. They bring out the best in each other, usually resulting in a fascinating clash.

We can also expect a more traditional-type game than we got in the Limerick-Galway and Waterford-Galway finals of the last two years.

Kilkenny and Tipp will play pretty much straight-up. Yes, they will pull back midfielders and half-forwards as required, but neither will work with a sweeper, as Waterford did two years ago, or attempt Limerick's close passing game which was so good for 18 months before being broken down by Kilkenny two weeks ago.

Cody and Sheedy would be very much of the view that the instinctive side of hurling should be allowed to flourish, and I totally agree with them.

Systems and match-ups can be overdone, especially they come at the expense of players' natural leanings.

Cody and Sheedy will trust their players' skills to do most of the important work, in which case we can expect another classic contest.

If Kilkenny win, it will be Cody's finest achievement which, given all Kilkenny have won under him, is saying something.

They appeared to have slipped down the pecking order earlier in the season, but gradually built their way back up. The wins over Cork and Limerick left nobody in any doubt about their well-being.

As for Sheedy, the lure of the sideline proved irresistible and Tipp are now reaping the rewards. Full marks to him - he could easily have stayed in the land of punditry, but decided to put his neck on the block again. He's enjoying it and why not?

Irish Independent