WHAT A DIFFERENCE 70 minutes can make. On their way into Thurles yesterday, Tipperary hurling fans didn’t quite know what to expect.
There was some wailing and gnashing of teeth last Friday evening when manager Michael Ryan’s first championship team was announced.
Four debutants were included. One of them, John McGrath, was a shoo-in on the back of an impressive League campaign and Seamus Kennedy’s inclusion had been flagged last week.
But Sean Curran and Dan McCormack were also handed starts, as previously established stars such as Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher, Jason Forde and Niall O’Meara had to make do with spots on the bench.
Kennedy slotted at right-half-back once it became clear that Barry Heffernan would be ruled out with concussion. Ryan could have moved Brendan Maher back there, and played Kieran Bergin in midfield, or handed Bergin the number 5 shirt.
Sean Curran put in a big shift for Tipperary before going off in the second half. Ken Sutton / INPHO
Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO
He didn’t, he went with Kennedy and the man who played senior championship football for Tipp last year didn’t put a foot wrong.
In attack, Curran and McCormack worked their socks off and their efforts ensured that Cork’s half-back line could never create a platform from which to build attacks.
In came Forde to score a point, ditto Bergin, while O’Meara and ‘Bonner’ Maher were also introduced.
That’s a pretty impressive bench to call upon and Ryan now finds himself in the pleasant position where he has over 20 players competing for 15 starting slots.
Dan McCormack brought a physical edge to Tipp's half-forward line. Ken Sutton / INPHO
Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO
Any of the aforementioned players left out of his starting line-up can’t have been happy at being omitted. If they were, there’s something seriously wrong. As our headline suggests, Ryan now has his players exactly where he wants them.
He’s rewarding players on form and form alone. Reputation and what’s gone in the past counts for nothing. The 15 who started on Sunday know they need to maintain those high levels to stay involved.
Those on the outside looking in realise they must redouble their efforts in an attempt to break in. Ryan stated as much in his post-match interview:
We have a very committed, honest, hard-working bunch in there, each of them fighting for their dear lives to get some time on the pitch, or stay on the pitch as the case may be.”
Players who had underperformed throughout the League flourished. Captain Brendan Maher enjoyed his best game in ages while John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer stepped up to the plate in attack.
Seamus Callanan missed the vast majority of the League injured and after returning for the latter stages of that campaign, there were some concerns about his form.
Seamus Callanan was superb for Tipp on Sunday. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
But Callanan’s a proven championship player and he delivered once again in a pressurised situation.
Cork’s defensive game-plan was obviously designed to upset the Drom & Inch forward but time and time again, he still managed to break clear of Damien Cahalane’s shackles.
Could young John McGrath step up and deliver on a championship Sunday? Of course he could. He may have scored just a point from play but Christy O’Connor’s statistics indicated just how much of an influence the Loughmore-Castleiney player exerted.
3 Nominees well deserved but wud've included John McGrath 18 plays, only scored 0-1 but set up 5 pts, won 2 converted frees, forced conv 65
One swallow doesn’t make a summer, of course. Cork were poor, desperately poor, but as the old saying goes, Tipp could only beat what was put in front of them.
And Ryan was defiant at full-time, insisting that Tipp’s sights are firmly set on summer silverware.
His post-match quotes were far more positive than we had heard from him during the League, when he spoke about how Tipp would learn more from defeat. His musings at the time were construed as defeatist but now, Tipp will learn from victory and push on to Limerick on 19 June.
Of course, Ryan realises that Tipperary fans are a demanding lot.
Jason Forde was one of Tipp's goal-scorers in Limerick last year but may not start against the same opposition next month. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
His stock is high now but would plummet if Tipp don’t clear their next hurdle and book a provincial final against Clare or Waterford.
But he insisted: “Look, we’re never too concerned about external comment, really and truly.
“We’re far more concerned about how happy we are with the level of work that’s taking place here, the level of progress that’s taking place within the squad.
But look, there’s no denying a win in a Munster Championship is essential. We didn’t want to be in a situation where we were going to have to wait for draws and wait for qualifiers. It’s not part of the plan.
“The plan for us is just to try and keep winning match by match and get the most we can out of this Munster Championship, including competing in the final and win the final.
“We’re very open about what are aims are here and that is to keep winning.”
So far, so good, but the bigger tests lie in store. Ryan knows it but he has a group of players who will fight tooth and nail over the next four weeks to make sure they’re in the starting team for the visit of Limerick to Thurles.
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Tipperary manager Michael Ryan now has his players exactly where he wants them
WHAT A DIFFERENCE 70 minutes can make. On their way into Thurles yesterday, Tipperary hurling fans didn’t quite know what to expect.
There was some wailing and gnashing of teeth last Friday evening when manager Michael Ryan’s first championship team was announced.
Four debutants were included. One of them, John McGrath, was a shoo-in on the back of an impressive League campaign and Seamus Kennedy’s inclusion had been flagged last week.
But Sean Curran and Dan McCormack were also handed starts, as previously established stars such as Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher, Jason Forde and Niall O’Meara had to make do with spots on the bench.
Kennedy slotted at right-half-back once it became clear that Barry Heffernan would be ruled out with concussion. Ryan could have moved Brendan Maher back there, and played Kieran Bergin in midfield, or handed Bergin the number 5 shirt.
He didn’t, he went with Kennedy and the man who played senior championship football for Tipp last year didn’t put a foot wrong.
In attack, Curran and McCormack worked their socks off and their efforts ensured that Cork’s half-back line could never create a platform from which to build attacks.
In came Forde to score a point, ditto Bergin, while O’Meara and ‘Bonner’ Maher were also introduced.
That’s a pretty impressive bench to call upon and Ryan now finds himself in the pleasant position where he has over 20 players competing for 15 starting slots.
Ryan’s selection was brave and bold, in keeping with his promise last year that Tipp would be more direct under his watch and bring more physicality to their play. It was also in line with our prediction that he wouldn’t be afraid to ruffle a few feathers in the quest for success.
Any of the aforementioned players left out of his starting line-up can’t have been happy at being omitted. If they were, there’s something seriously wrong. As our headline suggests, Ryan now has his players exactly where he wants them.
He’s rewarding players on form and form alone. Reputation and what’s gone in the past counts for nothing. The 15 who started on Sunday know they need to maintain those high levels to stay involved.
Those on the outside looking in realise they must redouble their efforts in an attempt to break in. Ryan stated as much in his post-match interview:
Players who had underperformed throughout the League flourished. Captain Brendan Maher enjoyed his best game in ages while John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer stepped up to the plate in attack.
Seamus Callanan missed the vast majority of the League injured and after returning for the latter stages of that campaign, there were some concerns about his form.
But Callanan’s a proven championship player and he delivered once again in a pressurised situation.
Cork’s defensive game-plan was obviously designed to upset the Drom & Inch forward but time and time again, he still managed to break clear of Damien Cahalane’s shackles.
Could young John McGrath step up and deliver on a championship Sunday? Of course he could. He may have scored just a point from play but Christy O’Connor’s statistics indicated just how much of an influence the Loughmore-Castleiney player exerted.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer, of course. Cork were poor, desperately poor, but as the old saying goes, Tipp could only beat what was put in front of them.
And Ryan was defiant at full-time, insisting that Tipp’s sights are firmly set on summer silverware.
His post-match quotes were far more positive than we had heard from him during the League, when he spoke about how Tipp would learn more from defeat. His musings at the time were construed as defeatist but now, Tipp will learn from victory and push on to Limerick on 19 June.
Of course, Ryan realises that Tipperary fans are a demanding lot.
His stock is high now but would plummet if Tipp don’t clear their next hurdle and book a provincial final against Clare or Waterford.
But he insisted: “Look, we’re never too concerned about external comment, really and truly.
“We’re far more concerned about how happy we are with the level of work that’s taking place here, the level of progress that’s taking place within the squad.
“The plan for us is just to try and keep winning match by match and get the most we can out of this Munster Championship, including competing in the final and win the final.
“We’re very open about what are aims are here and that is to keep winning.”
So far, so good, but the bigger tests lie in store. Ryan knows it but he has a group of players who will fight tooth and nail over the next four weeks to make sure they’re in the starting team for the visit of Limerick to Thurles.
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