WE MIGHT AS well start with that last-gasp free from the sideline.
At the death of normal time in the Munster SFC quarter-final against Limerick, Tipperary captain Conor Sweeney did his best Maurice Fitzgerald impression to force extra-time.
The execution of the strike, added to the weather conditions, the time on the clock and the knock-out element, meant Sweeney has probably already sealed the score of the 2020 season award.
Tipperary have forced extra time against Limerick after this superb free from Conor Sweeney deep into added time.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) November 7, 2020
Watch all the weekend's action on The Sunday Game @rte2 from 9.30pm #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/5Bk3CYJ8WT
“I didn’t really have much time to think about it, to be honest with you,” he recalls.
“When I knew the ref had blown the whistle for the free, I said to myself I can kick this, I can put this over.
“The conditions were actually favourable for me. I don’t know was that evident on the television. The breeze was at my back and I was confident. Look, I had to kick it, there was no two ways about it.
“It was literally the last play of the game so I knew I had to put it over. I had kicked a few points throughout the game. I just felt confident and I backed myself and that was it, really.
“I just remember running over to the ball, thinking ‘I have to kick this over. I am going to be able to kick it over.’
“I just remember Michael Quinlivan being on the floor – I think he was injured. He asked me did I want him to take it, and I was like, ‘No, not a hope boy! Stay where you are!’
“And after that it was straight to the process and, yeah, the rest is history then. You kind of block everything out, to be honest with you. I’m so used to taking frees now, you just kind of get used to your routine and it’s important you stick to them in those moments.
“I was thinking to myself on the way home, ‘Jesus, wouldn’t that have been a great free to win a match’. But then I realised the stakes were actually higher to draw the match because if I missed that we were gone. Whereas if it was to win the game and I missed it, you’re still in the game.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a situation like that where the stakes were so high.”
A Brian Fox winner in extra-time sent Tipperary into the provincial final, just their fifth in the last 75 years and their first since 2016.
That summer four years ago saw Tipperary enjoy a thrilling run to All-Ireland semi-final under Liam Kearns. With a young, emerging team they didn’t push on quite like they’d have hoped.
“I think our results would show that, yeah for sure,” admits Sweeney.
“But you have to be realistic as well, we’re never going to get to an All-Ireland semi-final or Munster final every year. It’s just not feasible with the teams we’re coming up against. But I would agree that we hoped to kick on in 2017.
“Listen, we got league success, we won Division 3 in 2017 which was great and we were actually a kick of a ball from going up to Division 1 the following year. There’s fine margins there but we definitely didn’t kick on in Munster.
“If we were to make progress after ’16 you’d surely hope to be looking at at least another one or two provincial appearances but it just hasn’t happened. But we’ve a chance to rectify it this year and if we get the job done it will more than make up for it.
“I certainly would have liked to have competed in more [Munster finals], that’s for sure. I think it’s one of every player’s main goals, to get to your provincial final. It just hasn’t happened.
“2016 was my first one, this is only my second one, and I’m around a long time. I just really hope we can give a good account of ourselves this time around. I think we under-performed majorly the last time which was very disappointing.
“But it’s always been a goal of mine to win a Munster championship, and hopefully I can make that happen this time around.”
And whatever way you look at it, Cork’s shock win over Kerry has provided Tipperary with a golden opportunity for provincial success. While Sweeney fancied the Kingdom to come through their semi-final, he wasn’t “overly shocked” that Cork were the ones to progress.
Sweeney’s mother hails from the Rebel County and he recalls attending several Cork-Kerry clashes during his youth at a time when Tipperary football wasn’t quite on his radar.
“To be honest, I don’t have much of a recollection of Tipperary football or very little. I would have gone to a lot of Cork/Kerry games when I was a young fellow as my uncle was a mad Corkman.
“My mother is from Cork. We are living on the border a couple of minutes away from Mitcelstown. Unfortunately,” he adds with a smile.
“My mother is probably my biggest supporter, she is probably one of the biggest Tipperary supporters, both my parents are. They will only be shouting for one team, thank God.
“My uncle was a mad football man but he was also mad about me and mad about Tipperary so there will only be one team they will all be shouting for on Sunday week, thanks be to God.”
The Premier are familiar with Cork, having clashed with them regularly in league and championship over the years.
“We were probably always going to be underdogs which is fine, we’re okay with that. I just think the fact we’ve been playing Cork more regularly, we’ve been in the same league divisions as them in recent years so I think you’d take a little bit of confidence from that knowing we can compete with them.
“We’re going to have to be at our best, there’s no doubt about it, and an under-par performance like the first 35 minutes the last day just won’t do. That’s the bottom line. That happens us too much.
“We tend to underperform for periods of matches and we’re going to get caught out at some stage. If we’re to compete with Cork we’re going to have to be on it from the word go and nothing less than a great performance will do.”
He’s around long enough to recognise the importance of taking this opportunity to put Tipperary football back in the limelight, given the prominence of hurling in the county.
“Young players coming up, they need to see us playing in top divisions, they need to see us playing against good teams, they need to see us playing on the television, they need to see us winning and enjoying it.
“I think if we can bring that to the fore this year and over the next couple of years, I think football will be in a good place because we have to compete with the hurlers. That is the bottom line. That is the way it is and that is the way it will be.
“If we all do our little bit as can all keep Tipperary in a good place because we have made great strides over the years. We have won titles at minor and U21, it is time to deliver for senior and now is as good a time as any.
“It is fantastic for young lads to see us involved in a Munster final and hopefully it won’t be the last for the next few years.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Sour grapes from Cheika. The knee on Conway was by far the worst incident in the game. Australians are always terrible losers though.
@Jim Demps: so are we to be fair
@domas1507: disagree! By international standards (us, English, Australia) we’re not too bad. Honest about how shite we are when we are if anything
@Jim Demps: Entirely agree… have seen this kind of cynical ‘tackle attempt’ a few times now and it’s clearly not intended to stop the score, but to injure the scorer.
These need to be picked up and sin-binned.
@domas1507: you definitely get off on self flagellation.
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: wrong comment, wrong place.
@domas1507: I never get this. Everyone last week said Australia deserved to win, that they had our number and out played us. We also had justified complaints about some shoddy refereeing, but it wasn’t sour grapes, it’s just another element of the game you can dissect.
@Conor Paddington: some would say complaining about refereeing decisions after you loose, justified or not, is being a bad looser
@Conor Paddington: that’s nonsense, you can rationally dissect a game and be honest whether your team win or lose, and refereeing is a part of that. The ref was bad last week and that is not why Ireland lost amd Australia deserved to win. That is not sour grapes.
@Conor Paddington: I’m not talking about last weeks game exactly. It’s easy be a gracious in defeat when you clearly loose. The sign of a gracious loser is is accepting defeat when you think you should have won. Think ireland v new Zealand in Dublin and a certain French striker for examples of what I mean.
@Jim Demps: the knee? He was legitimately trying to stop a try , he was hardly just going to let him stroll in
@domas1507: @domas1507: well a blatant double handball and determined ignorance of fifa officials is fair enough to critique. Neglecting to give yellows for a knock out shoulder charge and a clothesline would wind you up too. In that case, I’m a sour c¿nt!
@Trevor Reilly: I think he was def trying to injure him… barely laid a hand on him but still dropped the knee into him. Sorry, but for me it was deliberate.
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: don’t be harsh on yourself, you’re just a bad looser
@Jim Demps:
Every country have their whingers and complainers. Australians are no different to ourselves, England, Wales etc.
@domas1507: like true troll resentment feeds me!
@Trevor Reilly: There is nowhere on the field that you are allowed to tackle with the knee. If he was legitimately trying to stop a score why not try to get under the ball with his arms/body?
I like Australia. But they play some highly questionable rugby when it comes to legality. Cheika can do one if he’s going to complain about off-the-ball incidents considering there were a raft of Australian incidents both last and this week.
Cheika can F right off… his players were hitting Irish players off he ball and / or late all evening and getting away with it most of the time!!
Make no mistake. They know that deep down theyll never be able to force Ireland into infringement issues.
I see us getting it done in Sydney. #TeamOfUs
Again some awful referee decision even with TV match officials and touch judges. Hard to understand that they cannot get it right?
I know some will think it’s pedantic but can we stop with this ‘first win in Australia in 39 years’ business it’s not. It’s Ireland’s first away win against Australia. I saw Ireland win in Adelaide 15 years ago.
@Ted Od: first away win against Australia sorry in 39 years.
@Ted Od: it’s pedantic!
That ref was the Pitts … who let him on a pitch…. he was very 2 sided….well take the win .
@Sean Beirne: Two sided? Maybe one side too many? Or not…
Bloody whinging Aussies ( said in an Alf Stewart voice )
It was a shocking challenge
…definitely should be cited