Kilkenny hurling captain Cillian Buckley is not one for self preservation but rather keeping hold of the jersey he holds so close to his heart.
At the end of January, Buckley left the Páirc Uí Chaoimh pitch on a stretcher after suffering a neck injury in the final stages of his side’s defeat to Cork in the opening round of the Allianz HL Division 1.
But while he has recovered after receiving the all-clear, Buckley revealed his immediate concern was sporting and not his own welfare.
“You realise something small, it wasn’t even that big of a clash, could see you ruled out for a week and if you miss a game you could lose your jersey,” Buckley told Off The Ball’s Oisin Langan.
“When you’re on the field you just want to stake your claim for the jersey and put your best foot forward and try and hold onto it, first of all, to be able to take the challenge to whoever you’re playing against.
“Obviously, you look after yourself and we’ve a great medical team at Kilkenny, who are there to advise us on when to hold back and when to push on.
“It’s just about striking that balance and get out on the field when you can, but still being mindful about yourself.”
Kilkenny meet old rivals Tipperary in the Allianz hurling league final this Sunday at Nowlan Park in the 10th final showdown in 10 years between the two sides.
And Buckley shared his excitement at resuming one of the sports’ greatest rivalries in the comfort of home surroundings.
“It’s exactly what we want to be involved in,” Buckley added.
“It wasn’t looking good for us at the start of the league, but now to be in the business end of the Allianz League Final – in our own back yard and [against] our old rivals – you couldn’t ask for more.
“It will carry on the momentum we’ve had for the last few weeks. And to go that final step and win the thing will serve us well for the remainder of the year.
“We can’t wait. We’ve had some huge battles with them in Allianz League finals down the years – not too long ago in 2013 in Nowlan Park and 2014 in Thurles – there will be a huge battle in store I’m sure. We’ll give it our all and I’m sure we’ll get out of it.”
Written by James Hopper
