Kilkenny defender Paul Murphy has given something of an insight to the winning mentality that has yielded him four All-Ireland SHC titles in eight years.

Tipperary provide the opposition in Sunday's All-Ireland final once again as the old warriors saw off all pretenders to the throne to advance to the decider.

So, what keeps a player hungry to come back time and time again?

“When you’re younger you think you’re going to be here every year and it’s always going to be great, but certainly now you soak up as much as you can. You know you have so much to do before the game, but the enjoyment doesn’t fade,” Murphy told the Tipperary Star.

He added: “We know that if we are not in an All-Ireland final then we’re not playing to the best of our abilities – and we’re the first to know that.

“The last few years have been disappointing, but we don’t feel we have to prove it to anyone only ourselves.

“Over the last decade or two, we’ve been spoiled for All-Ireland finals. We’re fortunate to have been part of a county that’s competed year on year to be in that final. Anything less than that and you’re disappointed, which is a good thing in a way as it shows your standards and expectations are so high.”

Follow live coverage of Sunday's All-Ireland hurling finals on the hoganstand.com match tracker.

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