HOW LEASE OF LIFE

Baptism of fire against semi-final rivals Tipp in 2019 has stood to Kilkenny star Lawlor

- BY MICHAEL SCULLY

SUNDAY will only be the second time in his Kilkenny career that Huw Lawlor will face Tipperary in the Championship.

The first? That would be the 2019 All-Ireland final.

He marked Seamus Callanan, who scored 1-2, and the Cats were left way behind on the scoreboard, the first half red card for Richie Hogan helping Tipp to a 3-25 to 0-20 triumph.

Quite the baptism. "Yeah, look, obviously it was a tough first year," said Lawlor.

"You go in as a defender in your first year, you're going to be challenged in different ways. I took huge learning from that match and every Championship match that year."

He's asked if Hogan's sending off just before half-time, for a high challenge on Cathal Barrett, was the turning point. Kilkenny had led by five points earlier in the half but Tipp were ahead by the break.

"Ah look, it's a long time ago now," sighed Lawlor.

"It's hard to process it at the time. It was close enough to half-time, you were just trying to readjust and get ready for the second half but I don't think you have too much time to be over-thinking it, really."

The full-back has been a rock for Kilkenny, particularly since the Cody dynasty ended and the Lyng (below) era began.

He played soccer as a kid and a bit of Gaelic Football, but his first love won out in the end. "It came with time, you have to give up on them, hurling was the easy winner there," he smiled.

And the full-back line was almost always home. "I would have started as a corner-back," said Lawlor.

"I was fairly small when I was younger so I was kind of always a corner-back.