They averaged nearly 29 points per game this summer, won by almost 13 points per match and have won their last nine championship clashes, yet Kilkenny insist that they will have to power even higher up the gears to beat Limerick on Sunday.

That's the driven approach towards success that makes them so difficult to beat in any game, and most especially when the Liam McCarthy Cup is waiting to have the ribbons attached on All-Ireland hurling final day.

The desire to keep improving is at the core of Kilkenny's philosophy and permeates out from the management into every corner of a quality-packed dressing-room.

After beating Offaly, Wexford (twice) and Galway by margins of not less than 10 points one might expect Kilkenny to believe they have reached a level that will be good enough to win the final.

Not so, according to midfielder Derek Lyng, who believes that Limerick will present bigger problems than any of Kilkenny's previous victims which, in turn, demands more improvement from Cody's men.

"Form doesn't lie and Limerick are in the final after beating Tipperary, Clare and Waterford, who themselves had beaten Cork. That's some form by Limerick so we would be fooling ourselves if we weren't prepared for one hell of a battle," he said.

It's a mantra which the Kilkenny players and management constantly repeat as they seek to distance themselves from the massive confidence exuded by the supporters who aren't even countenancing the remote possibility of a win by the 7/2 outsiders.

But then they are living off a diet of repeated success and can't see how Limerick could possibly move up the rankings so quickly in one season that they could beat such a rounded force as Kilkenny.

Inside the Kilkenny camp, the mood is stern and focused. Limerick are a strong physical side who will test the Leinstermen's capacity to stand up to a more intense challenge than anything they have met so far. That's where the likes of Lyng steps forward, offering his solid frame as part of the weaponry at Cody's disposal.

Power

The harder the exchanges, the more Lyng likes it, although his game is by no means reliant on sheer physical power. His judgement, principally in the vital area of when to go forward to support the attack, is first class and puts him in a scoring position so often that he is in effect an extra forward.

He had problems with a hip injury but he says it's fine now, even if he continues to get the occasional twinge.

"Wear and tear, I suppose. That happens when you're around for a while but I ignore it as best I can. It's not bothering me at the moment which is the main thing as there's nothing worse than going into a big game with an injury problem," he said.

Lyng (29) has been on the Kilkenny panel since 2001 although he didn't break into the starting 15 until a year later, a season in which he became an instant hit, winning both an All-Ireland medal and a first All-Star award. Since then, he has been very much Kilkenny's midfield anchor, having played with no fewer than nine partners.

Andy Comerford, Pat Tennyson, Paddy Mullally, Conor Phelan, Ken Coogan, Bryan Barry, Tommy Walsh, Richie Mullally and 'Cha' Fitzpatrick have played alongside Lyng over the past five seasons. That's quite an array of talent which shows the level of opposition every Kilkenny player is facing.

Brian Cody has exploited his riches to the full, thus ensuring that nobody ever becomes complacent about their places. It's why Kilkenny are so competitive all the time, right from the day they start the season with a Walsh Cup game.

"No team can ever stand still. You can't pat yourself on the back and say, 'That's good enough' because the day you do that is the day you start going back. Most of us have won several medals but we don't even think of them. The next game is always what counts most," said Lyng. In this case, it's an All-Ireland final against a Limerick team who Lyng expects to bring an almighty intensity to their approach.

"It was there for all to see against Waterford. Limerick's tackling and pressure was something else that day. You have to win the hard ball to survive at this level and Limerick have been doing that all year. We've been doing it too but we'll need to raise the bar even higher now," he said.

Lyng identifies the win over Galway as the game that topped up the confidence tanks for Kilkenny.

Level just past the hour mark, they out-scored Galway by 2-4 to 0-0 in the final 10 minutes, underlining their incredible competitive spirit.

"You need to fight for every ball for every minute. If you don't you're in trouble. Limerick will certainly do that," added Lyng.

Kilkenny have rarely been found wanting in that regard -- indeed nobody epitomises their dogged determination more than Lyng.

"We face a tough physical battle against Limerick so we must be ready. If we're not we're in trouble," he said.