O’Brien and Tipp refocused for expanded Tailteann Cup

GAA: Tailteann Cup Round 1 Preview

By Shane Brophy

MEATH v TIPPERARY

Pairc Tailteann, Navan

Saturday, 13th May

Throw-in @ 6.30pm

Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry)

2023 has been a difficult year for Tipperary football but it still can be redeemed by a positive campaign in the second edition of the Tailteann Cup which gets underway this weekend.

Following relegation back to division 4 of the National League and a twenty point humbling at the hands of Kerry in the Munster semi-final, Tipperary are coming into this competition with little momentum, but captain Steven O’Brien is optimistic that this new competition will draw the best from him and his teammates in the coming weeks.

“The way the inter-county scene is at the minute is nearly broken into three stages, you focus on the league first and foremost, then you are into the Munster Championship and trying to get as far as you can in that, and subsequently we have ended up in the Tailteann Cup so basically we have had two chances already to compete for Sam Maguire, be it through promotion from division 3 or get to a provincial final, but we are where we are destined to be,” he said, speaking at the launch of the Tailteann Cup on Monday at Croke Park.

“The focus shifts now to the Tailteann Cup. We have had a chance to dust ourselves down from the Kerry game. There are obviously areas we wanted to work on. We have got our group for the Tailteann Cup so there is definitely a new motivation and focus in the dressing room over the last couple of weeks.”

It is a tough group that Tipperary have found themselves in, starting with top-seeds Meath who find themselves in this position following the progression of Sligo and Clare to their respective provincial finals, despite the Royals retaining their division 2 status.

“We are under no illusions that it is going to be a tough group,” O’Brien added.

“We have Meath first who are unlucky to be in the Tailteann Cup. They would have thought through their league status that they would have been safe but as things played out, they have ended up in the Tailteann Cup like ourselves. They’ll be a strong, formidable force.

“We have Down. Down football is on a high with Conor Laverty involved, and we have Waterford whom we stumbled over in the Munster Championship so there is no easy game.

“We have to go up to Navan in the first day out, it is going to be tough up there, but everyone has to see every game as an opportunity and every team can think they can beat anyone in this competition so hopefully we’ll have a plan that can be executed well and get us over the line.”

It is a tough start for Tipp next Saturday, but not without its opportunity as morale in Meath football is as low as it has ever been, particularly with their Leinster quarter final defeat to Offaly, a team Tipperary would see themselves being on a par with.

“We won’t be going into these games with massive fear, nor will Meath, Down or Waterford,” added the Tipperary skipper.

“Each team will have parked their league and provincial championship campaigns so I wouldn’t read too much into form or results as this is a whole new competition.

“The big win with the Tailteann Cup this year is that is a group format. We are going to get at least three competitive matches. Your home game is going to be huge and the fact we are going in with the Tipperary v Limerick hurling game is a great idea as it gives us a great opportunity to get a big home support into the ground and hopefully be that extra percent that might get us over the line against Down.”

Tipperary will have a cause to drive them on this Saturday with the passing of manager David Powers’ mother Marian last weekend and O’Brien is keen that the panel do their boss proud against Meath.

“It has been a tough few days and a tough couple of weeks for David and the Power family,” O’Brien revealed.

“David and his father Michael, sleep, breath and eat Tipperary football so we know that us putting in a massive performance against Meath, and if we can get a win, while it is going to be a tough week for them, it might give them some glimmer of light this week.

“It is added motivation for the players to pay their respects to David and the family, so we are absolutely bottling it in the back of our minds to do David proud, like we always do, but this is an added incentive as David loves Tipp football.”