Brendan Cummins: Final will be decided by pair of 'killers'

This year's All-Ireland hurling final could become a straight shootout between the game’s two most ruthless "killers", Aaron Gillane of Limerick and Kilkenny ace Eoin Cody.

That’s the opinion of former Tipperary keeper Brendan Cummins who feels the pair’s rare ability to win any and every ball into them sets them apart in the structured modern game.

"Both players, when the ball goes in, it sticks," Cummins said on RTÉ’s The Sunday Game after Kilkenny had out-battled Clare by three points to set up a date with four-in-a-row-chasing Limerick in two weeks’ time.

"They’re an absolutely unique animal in our game, the way game is going," Cummins continued. "You have the battle out around this famous 'middle third’ but when it goes in, it’s 2-v-1 inside there and, in fairness to Cody today, it stuck."

Brendan Cummins is looking forward to an All-Ireland SHC final which will feature two outstanding forwards.#sundaygame #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/E8ZWbDl0aO

"Even with the sweeper that was sitting there today, Seadna Morey, it didn’t matter and that’s the key for the two teams that are in the final now. The killers inside, when it goes in, have that unique talent, all of the time, when it goes in, they hold it and bring others into the game."

Clare gave Kilkenny everything they could handle in a thrilling final-four clash at Headquarters and when Shane O’Donnell’s spectacular goal pulled them level in the 63rd minute, it looked like the Banner might purge the demons of last year’s semi-final hammering.

But, Kilkenny are Kilkenny. Panic is a word and a state with which they ae not familiar. The Black and Amber shoulder stayed exactly where it was from throw-in – to the wheel. The Cats would outscore Brian Lohan’s side five points to two in