POWER CUT DOWN TO UNDERAGE

Lack of minor and U20 success costing Kilkenny

- BY MICHAEL SCULLY

RICHIE Power's son Rory was six when they had a puck around on the Croke Park pitch after the 2015 All-Ireland final.

Power didn't realise it at the time but his substitute appearance against Galway in a victory that would deliver his eighth All-Ireland medal would be his last in the black and amber.

"Rory does remember it," said Power. "It's funny, he was born in '09. Mam and Dad would have started bringing him around 2011, so he would have been there in 2011, '12, and then '14, and '15.

"I didn't realise it was going to be the end for me, I suppose it's nice to look back on now that you have a memory like that."

Rory was on Kilkenny's extended minor panel this year until an injury ruled him out.

"He's underage again next year, which should be his year.

Kilkenny haven't lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup since that 2015 success, a decade-long wait Power didn't see coming.

"No, absolutely not," said the two-time All Star.

"You were maybe looking forward to having another crack at three in a row in '16.

There were very few retirements after '15, if I remember correctly.

"So you were going back with the same squad and obviously they did get back to the final in '16, and obviously, look, Tipperary were exceptional that day.

Sunday's semi-final against Tipp is an opportunity to make a fourth All-Ireland final in seven years.

However, Power points to his county's lack of success at minor and under-20 level as a reason for the wait at senior level.

Kilkenny's lack of competitive games in Leinster across the minor, under-20 and senior grades has hurt the county, he reckons.

It's why he stresses the need for a return to the famous high-intensity internal training games of the Brian Cody era.