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4th June 2014
06:32pm BST
Conor Heneghan says... There’s no doubting the fact that the last few days must have been very difficult for anybody involved in the Tipperary camp.
You might suggest that they only lost by two points to the reigning Munster Champions, both of which were scored in injury-time at the end of the second-half, but the tale of Sunday’s defeat is far more complicated than that and Eamon O’Shea’s side don’t come of out of it looking all that pretty.
For a start, you’d worry about the psychological implications. Winning tight games becomes a habit and it is a habit inextricably linked with some of the greatest teams in both codes in recent years, the Tyrone footballers and Kilkenny hurlers being stand-out amongst them.
But losing those tight games becomes a habit too and Tipperary have been losing too many of them lately for it to be seen as merely a coincidence. Immediately after Sunday’s game, Eamon O’Shea spoke of the anxiety that had affected his players and it was as clear as day to anyone watching that they were never comfortable in the lead and seemingly waiting for the killer blow that Shane Dowling and company were only too happy to deliver.
There’s little doubt that Tipp have the talent to succeed but whether or not they have the mental resolve is something that O’Shea and his players will have to ask themselves when they do a little soul-searching over the next few weeks. Maybe Kieran McGeeney, employed by O’Shea as a psychological coach, might be able to help,
But all is not lost. Adversity is a common theme amongst the most successful teams in recent years, particularly when it comes to the small ball game. Last year, Clare were tanked by eight points by Cork, had a narrow escape against Wexford in the qualifiers and were questioned by many within their own county before reaching the promised land.
The year before, Kilkenny were hammered out the gate by Galway in the Leinster Final before recovering to beat the same opposition when it really mattered. Hell, Tipp don’t even have to look too far from home for their own experience of responding to adversity; Cork beat them by 10 points in Munster in 2010 and we all know what happened next.
A run through the qualifiers has done no harm to some counties in the last few years and *sticks tongue firmly in cheek* it might be the easiest way for Tipp to win a game considering that their losing streak in the Championship now dates back to July 2012. That must hurt really hurt all associated with Tipperary and, to be honest, it should do because they certainly have the players to mount an All-Ireland title challenge.
Despite a difficult period in charge so far, there aren’t many calling for Eamon O’Shea’s head and nor should they be; his role under Liam Sheedy when the Premier last won Liam McCarthy has been well celebrated and he is widely regarded as one of the most innovative hurling minds in the country.
He knows far more than I do, but I can’t help but look at that Tipp team and wonder if the right players are playing in the right positions. Would Padraic Maher, for example, not be better served further up the pitch, something that might end up happening if and when Paul Curran returns to the starting line-up?
Despite his performance in the full-forward line the last day, is ‘Bonner’ Maher, currently the talisman in Tipp’s side, better suited to running at opponents from deep and exploiting his stamina further out the field? Is he getting the best out of Noel McGrath, who, on his day is surely one of the top stick men in the country?
If they get a favourable enough draw in the qualifiers, O’Shea and the Tipperary squad might get a bit of time to sort themselves out and I’m certainly not going to rule out the possibility of them doing just that. The bookies, who still have Tipp as 6/1 third-favourites (behind Kilkenny and Clare) for the All-Ireland despite Sunday’s loss, seem to agree with me.
Don’t write them off just yet.
Sean Nolan says... based on what we have seen, not just on Sunday but for the past two years, no.
Hands up, we all underestimated Limerick on Sunday and it seems the Treaty men used that oversight to fuel their performance in Thurles on Sunday. Limerick deserve great credit for overcoming managerial upheaval, and a poor League, to register a first win against Tipp at Semple since 1973, a storied year for Limerick hurling.
And while we can’t wait to see Limerick in action in another Munster final, it is the fate of the losers on Sunday that is even more intriguing. Tipp will always be one of the ‘Big Three’ in hurling, because of their history, both distant and recent. But do they still deserve to be third in the betting for the All-Ireland at 6/1, tucked in behind Kilkenny and Clare and level with their vanquishers on Sunday?
The answer simply is no, and on reflection, the signs were there long before Limerick dumped them out of Munster.
The last Championship match Tipp won was the Munster final of 2012. Since then they got a hammering from Kilkenny in an All-Ireland semi, a defeat to Limerick and another loss to Kilkenny in 2013 and then Sunday’s beating. Sure, they have changed managers in that time but it is the change of personnel on the field that is the root of their current woes.
The rising team of 2010, when they won both senior and Under-21 honours, has not yet kicked on. That’s not to say they won’t yet, and given the age profile you’d be foolish to write them off for good, but right now they are not at the pitch required. Padraic Maher made a few big mistakes on Sunday at full-back, and while namesake Brendan was a bit better in front of him at centre back, it seems they are not being used to their fullest in their current roles, skilled and all as they are. Seamus Callanan is still too hit and miss and only Bonner Maher showed his class on Sunday.
Paul Curran is out, of course, but when the defensive rock of Tipp returns is still unclear. That robs the team of a leader, as does the retirement of Brendan Cummins and the diminished role of Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly.
That lack of leadership could be the root of their inability to win big games. We know they have the talent, but they can’t seem to get it together.
They could, of course, ‘click’ and find their way (look at Clare last year) but that trick is harder than ever in hurling. With the likes of Wexford, Dublin, Kilkenny or Galway lurking as potential opponents next time out, the back door route doesn’t look too appealing, especially for a team whose confidence has to be shot.
Right now, if you were ranking All-Ireland contenders, you couldn’t reasonably put Tipp in the top five (Kilkenny, Clare, Dublin, Cork and Limerick are definitely ahead of them) and that’s not to mention the potential we’ve seen in Waterford and Wexford this year.
To still be playing in August would now be a huge achievement for this Tipp team and we certainly wouldn’t say that is an impossible task for this bunch of players. But to go the extra steps from there and win Liam is another matter altogether, and beyond them in my opinion.
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