Henry Shefflin expects Kilkenny to make the necessary adjustments to win this evening's All-Ireland SHC semi-final replay.

The 10-time All-Ireland winning forward reckons the Cats have the greater scope for improvement after "10 or 11 players didn't win their individual battles" in the drawn encounter with Waterford.

"They never really got any fluency going in attack. Anything gained was almost on an individual basis and there were some brilliant individual scores," he notes in his Irish Independent column.

"Richie Hogan popped over four points, largely off his own bat. There was no score that you could say came from a great move. Hard work yes, but not the flowing movement they'd have hoped for. Again that's down to how difficult Waterford made it.

"They swarmed and hassled and harried. Stephen O'Keeffe put most of his puck-outs right down the middle, inviting Kilkenny to come and win them in one of their strongest channels. Some they did win but there was pressure on immediately and turnovers forced.

"So Kilkenny never got to settle and use of the ball was heavily compromised. Greater unity is required in attack."

He continued: "I know the feeling is that the six-day turnaround will challenge Kilkenny legs, but I wonder how much did such an effort take out of Waterford too. Kilkenny got stronger as the game progressed while I felt Waterford tired.

"That said, the strength in depth just isn't in Kilkenny as much as it has been in the past, reflected by the use of just two substitutes. There is no point in dressing it up any other way.

"There was that raft of retirements after 2014 but the loss of Ger Aylward and James Maher to long-term injuries, not to mention Richie Power to premature retirement, is hitting hard now.

"Still you have to think that Kilkenny will find enough in themselves to make the adjustments and win. They won't have looked at match-ups too much last week but now they'll come into sharper focus, particularly how to deal with Austin Gleeson."

Shefflin feels the All-Ireland champions were "bullied in certain areas" last Sunday and stresses how Brian Cody will be eager not to allow this to happen again.

"Being physical is a badge of honour for successive Kilkenny hurling teams. Winning ruck ball, one-to-one battles on the ground and in the air is not just a priority but the firmest principle. Everything follows after that.

"But too often last Sunday Kilkenny players came off second best in these exchanges. That they were able to pull it back from that brink is a testament to that character and never-say-die-attitude."

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