This week 20 years ago, Brian Cody was preparing for his first All-Ireland semi-final as Kilkenny manager.
They beat Clare to reach the 1999 final and this week he’s getting ready for his 18th decider (including replays), just one illustration of how things have changed since he took the job.
Just don’t call it a job, though.
“It is not even a job,” he says. “It is what I do.”
“The single biggest difference [since 1999]? I have no idea. People talk about the changes in young people and everything else. I don’t have any problem with that.
“I have been a primary teacher all my life and I have been dealing with younger teachers and children and involved with club players all my life.
“I have seen all these different things. I don’t find anything fantastic about the changes. Are there changes in the game? Yes there are, of course. But to me the fundamentals of the game don’t change. I don’t believe they can change.
“It is a game of skill, huge skill, physicality, pace, drive, honesty, determination and all of those things are the fundamentals. In my mind they can’t change. What can change are the various ways people put their team out.
“You can only play 15-a-side, but there are no restrictions on how you employ those players. Different things have come into the game over the years, with different coaches putting out different formations.
“That is challenging because it is different. That is a change alright. Other than that, it is hurling.”
Cody was unwittingly building his management dossier from an early age, he explains.
“From the time you are a child you are storing away stuff without even knowing it. The biggest influence I had was my own father (Bill).
“He was hugely involved in hurling and terrifically involved in my club for a long, long time, as I was.
“At primary and secondary school level I was in hurling situations. All that is there. Things you store away without knowing it are always there.
“I have played under various coaches and managers and you pick up things as you go along.
“Then it is very important that you bring yourself to whatever situation you find yourself in. Bring your personality. You can’t try to be someone else.”
And, for all that hurling has changed over the past two decades, the qualities that Cody seeks in a player haven’t and he knows before too long if they have them.
“You see it very quickly. It is easy to make the ball talk if you have that sort of skill. But most of the time it is about honesty of effort. You are always being tested, in training, club matches or whatever.
“You can see leadership. You can see genuineness, honesty a mile away. It is so important to have that.
“You can’t switch it on and off. It is either what you do or don’t. It is brilliant to have players who do it.
“Players who haven’t those qualities haven’t a hope of surviving. Inter-county players have to be skilful to make it, some have outrageous skill, but the make-up, the character and all they bring is important.
“It is a team game. You have to completely apply yourself from a team point of view.
“It is no use going out and saying ‘sure I tapped over a few points myself’. What did you do for your team? That is what it is all about. If a lad hasn’t those qualities he is not a gifted hurler.”
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