O’Brien hails new blood

By Stephen Barry

Steven O’Brien hailed Tipperary’s new group of players for getting their first taste of Championship success by toughing out a three-point victory over Waterford in the Munster quarter final on Saturday evening.

With only six of the twenty players who featured last year involved, this team bore little comparison to that which lined out in Fraher Field.

“Everyone talks about last year and falling short against Waterford, but this is a totally new group,” said O’Brien.

“We’d ten new Championship debutants so most of them didn’t realise what went on last year. We parked it a small bit and said let’s make it about this year’s group, not last year’s. That was our message going in.

“We’ve had an awful lot of turnover since 2020 but that’s just part and parcel of it. The demands for players now are gone through the roof and lads have lives outside of football and GAA. We’re not the only county to lose players, it’s just disappointing we’ve lost so many all at once.

“But we’ve new players coming in and pushing the boat on another bit and it’s great for them to get a taste of a win in Championship. There’s no better feeling.

“We’ve a good few lads coming through off of successful U20 teams. You’ve Micheál Freaney, Cian Smith, Ben Comerford, all these lads coming through who have been through the likes of Niall Fitzgerald and his backroom team at U20 level. You can see the quality that they’ve put into them because they’re able to make that step up when they come up to us.

“They’ve been a revelation since they came in so it’s no surprise to see them do well here on the first day of Championship.”

O’Brien missed last year's Waterford defeat through injury and faced a race against time to play any part in the revenge mission.

“It is difficult. You’re heading off into the gym by yourself doing rehab. Weeks go by and you’re wondering am I ever going to get back on the pitch.

“That’s where you’ve a good team around you, the medical staff, management, the players, but also at home. Family and friends have been brilliant for me as a support group.

“All of us just want to be on the pitch playing, especially on a nice, lovely day in Championship so I was just delighted to get back. If you pick up a score, that’s even better I suppose.

“Happy enough but the lads created all the space and put it on a plate for me. Especially the goal. If I missed it, I would’ve got a fair slagging inside in the dressing room.”

Next up is a trip to face Clare in Ennis.

“We’ll dust ourselves down and get back on the training pitch now next week and head into a Munster semi-final,” said O’Brien.

“A great place to be.”