Tipp know the challenge that Limerick will provide

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary have been boosted ahead of Sunday’s Munster senior hurling final against Limerick with the news that Niall O’Meara is available for selection.

The Kilruane MacDonaghs clubman missed the final round of the league as well as the Munster semi-final win over Clare because of appendicitis but the hard-working half forward came through a challenge match against Offaly last week with Liam Sheedy reporting he came through the seventy minutes.

That game was played by the players who didn’t feature against Clare three days earlier and in which Paul Flynn picked up a hand injury but should be okay to take his place on the bench.

On the injury front, John Meagher is ruled out with a hamstring injury and joins Billy McCarthy and Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher on the sidelines, while Kilsheelan’s Paul Maher has only just returned to training after a long term hamstring injury.

So, in that respect, Tipperary are in decent shape to take on the defending Munster and All-Ireland champions, and will do so in the role of underdogs which should take the pressure off a little, however there is still a huge prize at stage.

In the first two years of the round-robin format in the hurling championship, one wondered about the value and importance of a Munster title, considering the main aim was to progress from the group stage. Now that we are, for the second straight year, back to the old format of knockout/backdoor qualifiers, winning a provincial title has a little more lustre to it because of what you can avoid.

It’s unlikely that Liam Sheedy or John Kiely will be thinking about anything but winning this Munster Final, but with it comes progress straight to the All-Ireland semi-finals, and in this constrained format because of the pandemic, the shortest route with the most recovery time between games is likely to be important as to who reaches the All-Ireland final in August 22nd.

It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that this won’t be the last time we will see Tipperary and Limerick face off in this year’s championship, and if that is the case, neither will want to give the other the psychological advantage, which is another aspect as to why this game has much more riding on it than just provincial bragging rights.

Limerick have their own motivations, including going for a three-in-a-row for the first time since the 1930’s when they achieved a four-timer, with the great Mick Mackey in his pomp. For Tipperary, it is a chance of a first provincial title since 2016, which is a mini-drought in modern times considering they won it six out of the nine years before that to bring their total to 42.

While manager Liam Sheedy won’t want to have everything riding on the result when priming his players considering the loser has a second chance through the All-Ireland quarter finals, you feel this is a game Tipp have to win because of their poor recent record against the Shannonsiders.

Since Tipperary won the round-robin clash in 2019, Limerick have had their number in all clashes, barring a draw in the first round of this year’s National League. However, the two games to focus on are the 2019 Munster Final when they were over-run in the final twenty minutes, while at no stage in last year’s Munster semi-final here in Pairc Ui Chaoimh did you feel Tipperary had the game to get the better of John Kiely’s charges.

So, what is there to suggest they have it now? Well, when you get beaten down often enough, you usually get a response at some point, and every Tipperary player has their pride in that they don’t want to be beaten by this team again.

Also, most of them would have heard, at least once, that the only reason they won the 2019 All-Ireland title was because Limerick were beaten in the semi-final by Kilkenny. I’m not a player but I know that one grates, and I’d be surprised if it isn’t the same for the players and management.

For Tipp to win, there will need to be an extra edge to their play, and with it a high workrate. On that score, Tipperary will be more than happy with what they showed against Clare where their workrate was their key to victory, amassing 2-15 of their 3-23, from forcing Clare turnovers. However, Limerick and their greater physicality will be a stiffer challenge.

Tactically, Tipperary have struggled with how to deal with Limerick dropping players back and then attacking in waves so conceding the short puckout, as they did against Clare, is likely to be one aspect of the gameplan, one that worked well in the league game for the most part.

There are unlikely to be too many changes to the starting line-up, however, playing Limerick are a different animal to Clare, particularly in the physical stakes, which could mean a start for Alan Flynn, Paddy Cadell, Willie Connors or Niall O’Meara, to have an extra workhorse in the middle of the field. It would be hard to think that Noel McGrath and Dan McCormack will be able to cope there on their own in the area where Limerick generate a lot of their momentum from, either in creating chances, or forcing opposition turnovers.

If there is a player to drop out, it is likely to be John McGrath after his poor showing against Clare, but what an option to bring off the bench and Tipp will need that bench to make and impact if they are to win.

At the other end, who picks up Aaron Gillane will be important, and whether Cathal Barrett has the size to do it remains to be seen. It could also be a role for Barry Heffernan but he seems better suited to Peter Casey who tends to pull out the field where Heffernan also offers an attacking threat for Tipp.

Match-ups will be all important and while Limerick tend to pick their team to suit themselves, they did pull a rabbit out of the hat last year when they moved Cian Lynch to centre forward which meant Alan Flynn was centre back for Tipp. Expect Liam Sheedy to have every base covered in terms of where Limerick might do something different, including moving Kyle Hayes back into the forward line, to accommodate Dan Morrissey coming back into the defence, whose brother Tom could be vulnerable to losing out after a very quiet start to the campaign.

There may have been excuses for Tipperary’s poor showing against Limerick in the 2019 Munster Final and last years Munster semi-final, but there are no excuses next Sunday. They know what is coming in the shape of the All-Ireland champions who have their style of play and haven’t deviated from it.

It’s going to take a supreme effort to get the job done and Tipperary showed against Clare that in terms of workrate they won’t found wanting.

So it will come down to efficiency and how Tipperary use the ball to their own advantage for as we know with Limerick, when they get the ball they don’t give it back cheaply.

If Tipp are to win, it will come off the back of the defence who need to hold their shape and not allow Limerick to create pockets of space to run or play the ball into as that is where they are at their most dangerous.

For the 7,000 lucky people who will be in Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday, they are unlikely to be disappointed in terms of a contest as Tipperary and Limerick will be looking at each other, fully respectful, that the team across from them are a major threat to winning the All-Ireland title, and neither will want to hand the other the initiative in that quest.