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Shane Stapleton previews Limerick v Tipperary and Cork v Clare in Spherical 2 of the Munster Hurling Championship.
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Rewind eight years and the notion of Tipperary beating Limerick was nothing greater than a matter in fact.
The Treaty have by no means feared their neighbors and had picked up championship wins in 2007, 2013 and 2014, however in any other case Tipp had been unbeaten in 12 clashes (together with three attracts) going again to the beginning of the 1997 season.
The sense inside the Premier County was that if that they had their geese in a row, these video games had been akin to capturing fish in a barrel. Victories by ten, seven, 24 and 16 factors got here inside this run, with the occasional defeat typically seen as a lapse.
The groups subsequent met within the 2016 Munster semi-final at Semple Stadium in Michael Ryan’s first championship outing as supervisor, a season after the departure of Eamon O’Shea.
A crimson card to John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer after 14 minutes threatened to scupper the hosts’ possibilities however objectives from Seamus Callanan and Michael Breen (two) allowed Tipp to ascertain a 3-5 to 0-11 lead by the interval, with Cathal Barrett buttressing the again line thereafter as Tipp weathered the storm and misplaced the second half by simply 0-7 to 1-5.
The Blue and Gold performed round their outdated rivals and TJ Ryan’s facet had no reply. The previous went on to win Munster and All-Eire titles in convincing vogue, as solely Galway within the semi-final got here inside 9 factors.
That very same season, Tipp’s Beneath-21s eked out a two-point win over a hotly-tipped Limerick facet whereas the identical county gained Munster and All-Eire finals in opposition to the inexperienced jerseys by 17 and 7 factors respectively.
All of the indicators at senior and underage ranges urged that this relationship would proceed in the identical method, however how completely different the truth is now.
Let’s dismiss the 2019 Munster round-robin conflict which mattered little to both facet, and for which Declan Hannon and Cian Lynch weren’t began by the All-Eire champions. Whereas the Premier got here out on prime by 4 factors, they misplaced Cathal Barrett and Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher to damage.
Just a few weeks later, the perimeters met in a recreation that mattered: the Munster last on the Gaelic Grounds, and what started as a livid affair descended right into a humiliation for Tipperary.
Limerick had already smashed Tipp a 12 months earlier when supervisor Ryan made 5 huge adjustments going into the conflict, whereas this time accidents pressured Liam Sheedy into alterations to his fifteen.
It mattered little as John Kiely — who had glumly watched on at Croke Park in 2009 as his county had been sundered by Sheedy’s 2009 iteration by 24 factors — exorcised additional demons.
The 14-point win was about successful silverware in the beginning, however the method of it despatched a message to their nemesis about the place this relationship had gone to. Sure, Tipp went on to win the All-Eire after Kilkenny caught the Treaty within the semi-final, however the dye was solid between these two.
Outdoors of the dead-rubber spherical robin recreation in 2019, Kiely has recorded wins by six, 12, 9, 5, and 7 factors within the championship in opposition to Tipperary — with solely final 12 months’s draw interrupting their dominance.
The recurring sample inside these video games is that Tipperary empty the tank in an try and disrupt the taking part in patterns of the inexperienced juggernaut, however in the end run out of juice, and sometimes the excellent scorelines flatter the Premier.
A Callanan objective put Tipp 5 forward within the 2019 Munster last after 18 minutes, however the inexperienced military gained the rest by 17 factors: 2-22 to 1-8. Lengthy earlier than the ultimate whistle, the sport was over, and the fallen facet had seized up.
Quick-forward two years and Tipp performed some unimaginable hurling to nudge themselves ten factors in entrance. Simply earlier than the interval, the Treaty confirmed indicators of life, and by halfway by the second half that they had overwhelmed their adversaries to have a Munster title within the bag as soon as extra.
Kyle Hayes had been marshalled properly by Breen for a lot of the sport, however scored one of many nice solo objectives on one of many few event when he was given room to hare into.
When Tipp have met Limerick through the Kiely period, there was the sense of a 400-metre sprint: the inexperienced vest carries a good cadence all through, and stays calm even when the blue decides to set a quick tempo; in the end, the latter struggles to remain the course and their legs start to wobble, with inexperienced cruising previous.
This theme continued final season as Limerick scored 4 of the 5 factors from the 69th minute till deep into damage time, however the Premier discovered a strategy to engineer a draw as John McGrath fired over a freed from his personal making.
The league conflict this 12 months noticed Tipp go 5 forward after 31 minutes however then Limerick hit 4 in a row earlier than the break. Early within the second half, Kiely’s crew went on a run of 0-Eight to 0-2 to place themselves within the ascendancy.
And whereas ‘Bonner’ Maher and Jake Morris scored objectives to maintain the scoreline very shut (0-26 to 3-16), their rivals had created 12 of the 19 possibilities within the last ten minutes plus damage to focus on their capacity to play for 70 minutes as soon as extra.
For Tipperary to win, the proof means that they should set up a lead and discover a strategy to maintain on. Humorous issues can occur on huge championship days when outdated rivals meet, however Limerick’s methodology of successful reveals no signal of letting up: soak up the hits after which unload till the ultimate bell. Clare felt it final weekend.
For Tipp, they will have a look at the primary 53 minutes to see loads of indicators that Limerick will not be firing on all cylinders simply now, but in addition see that switching off can be punished. Sure, a few square-ball choices went the way in which of the reigning champions, however the tougher you’re employed the luckier you get. Having the ability to go to the properly for longer is essential to their continued success.
Cork determined to choose quite a lot of their veterans in opposition to Waterford and the proof says it backfired. Seamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan and Conor Lehane have had sensible days for his or her county however simply 0-1 returned off ten photographs from open play within the first half did their facet no favours.
Poor decision-making underlined a lot of this situation, and feeding extra ball to the recent arms of Shane Barrett and Alan Connolly would possibly properly have modified the end result.
Damien Cahalane obtained a harsh crimson card for 2 yellows, whereas a black card-penalty resolution — which ought to by no means have been — was very pricey within the latter levels.
Nonetheless, Pat Ryan is aware of that his group saved combating all the way in which to the end line and that could be a nice begin. He may also revise his beginning group, all of which may feed right into a response in opposition to Clare.
The Banner had been sensible for 50-odd minutes in opposition to the Treaty however the method of their collapse could also be damaging past this weekend; a way that they threw each punch attainable within the Shannonside derby, and nonetheless they discovered a strategy to lose.
What Brian Lohan and his administration group want to seek out is the precise strategy to body this, and to make sure this doesn’t sow seeds of doubt between the ears of the gamers. That’s all that issues going into this large weekend of hurling.
Tipp half time-Limerick full time at 5/1 appears tasty, as does a Cork-Clare draw at 8/1.
