If almost everything about Kilkenny’s march to another All-Ireland hurling semi-final has felt tiresomely familiar then at least Ger Aylward is proving something of an exception. That is from the outside looking in.
There he is, after just his two championship starts, sitting behind TJ Reid as Killkenny’s top scorer – even if a whopping 3-5, all from play, came in the near demolition of Wexford in the Leinster semi-final. Aylward then added 0-3 in the Leinster final win over Galway, which means only Reid, with his 2-16, has scored more for Kilkenny this summer.
He's now certain to start in Sunday's semi-final showdown against Waterford, and yet much of the excitement surrounding Aylward this summer stems from the idea not many people outside of Kilkenny had even heard of him before the Wexford game. Yet many people in Kilkenny knew all about him, including wing back Cillian Buckley, who was actually brought into the senior panel around the same time as Aylward, in 2012.
Their apprenticeship
“It’s no surprise to anyone around here. I’ve played with Ger on a number of development squads. He was one of our main players on the 2010 minor All-Ireland team. And he was probably our main forward in the 2012 All-Ireland under-21 team, too.
“He’s just suffered a good bit with injuries, which might have stalled his progress slightly. . . .
“Also, Kilkenny haven’t been so successful at under-21, in the last few years. Kilkenny have lots of players who have done their apprenticeship at age 20, 21. And so these players really have to prove themselves at minor or under-21 before they are called upon at senior level.”
Indeed Aylward never really got his chance to fully shine at under-21 level, partly because of injury, and partly because that gifted Clare under-21 team of 2012 got in the way of an All-Ireland title. Then injuries took their toll.
Despite all the commotion that followed the Leinster semi-final, Aylward had appeared for Kilkenny in the championship before, coming on for Reid early on in the 2013 qualifier match against Tipperary, at Nowlan Park. He’d also made several league games that season, before a broken ankle in 2014 – plus his also unfair share of hamstring and knee ligament injuries – kept him out of the spotlight.
This sense of appearing out of near nowhere may also be partly explained by the fact Aylward was born into a junior club, Glenmore; only now, at 23, his potential is being fully realised. Although limited to 0-3 against Galway, he also set up Reid’s goal, after his own shot was intercepted by Daithi Burke.
Sunday therefore will be Aylward's first championship meeting with Waterford, although it is the 11th championship clash between the counties. Waterford's sole success came in the 1959 All-Ireland final replay. Kilkenny are bidding to reach the final for the 14th time in the last 17 seasons, all under Brian Cody, having failed to make it on only three occasions (2001-05-13). Waterford last reached the final in 2008.
