LONG READ: Early days, but the buzz has returned to Tipperary hurling

Above: Tipperary’s Eoghan Connolly prepares to clear his lines, with Cork’s Brian Hayes about to challenge, during the Allianz National Hurling League game at FBD Semple Stadium. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile 

Tipperary’s bright start to the league got even brighter at atmospheric Semple Stadium on Saturday evening last. A four-point edge on Cork was just reward for another earnest display, one that enhances our top-of-the-table position.

It won’t obliterate the memory of last May but it does offer some slight atonement – as well as encouragement for the ongoing rebuilding process.

I’d rate it our best performance of the four outings thus far in the league. Franked by hard work and honesty of effort, the home following seemed well pleased with the manner in which the team manned up to the challenge of a physical opponent – and saw the issue out to the end.

READ NEXT: Tipperary hotel has been offered as IPAS accommodation

For a February league game, it was quite a vigorous contest, albeit with plenty of errors on display from both sides. The issue pendulated from side to side throughout, with Dylan Walsh’s goal around ten minutes from the end providing a decisive swing.

If a man of the match was being awarded at half-time, Darragh McCarthy would have been the unanimous choice. His first half display was a tour de force, hitting five points from play and a further three from frees. It was a torrid half for Ger Millerick.
We suggested recently that as well as feeding possession to others, the Toomevara lad should trust his own shooting. On this occasion he certainly hit that target with some sublime scores, including one that whizzed just north of the crossbar.

SEE ALSO: Tipperary family desperately seeking place for son in autism unit

McCarthy’s contribution was central to Tipperary’s first half effort, as was Jake Morris’ goal early on in the contest. Alan Tynan fetched and fed the Nenagh man to create the opening. The rest was vintage Morris, racing through and crashing a low bouncer past Patrick Collins.

Cork weren’t slow about responding, however. Shane Barrett wove his way past defenders before passing to Brian Hayes for the tap-in finish. It was an example of Cork’s potential to open our defence – in fact any defence.
They threatened again later when Barrett got through down the left flank, forcing Barry Hogan into an alert save, one of a number he made during the course of the match. A more clinical Cork might have hit four goals.

Robert Doyle had problems early on with the pacey Jack O’Connor but he remained dogged and settled into a decent performance overall while newcomer, Joe Caesar, could be well pleased with his input at wing back.

SEE MORE: Water mains project will close Tipperary road

The defence generally stayed stubborn, with Ronan Maher once again the commander-in-chief at number six. Eoghan Connolly sustained recent impressions with another strong performance. He loves those sorties outfield but they come with a health warning and should be used sparingly. Unless cover tracks back we run the danger of being exposed on a quick counter attack.

The game stayed indecisive for much of the second half, with that pendulum still swinging. The decisive moment came on 59 minutes when a clearance to our half forward line broke kindly to Craig Morgan. The midfielder had open country in front of him and made tracks before laying off to Dylan Walsh. The Ballingarry man squeezed the shot between Patrick Collins and Ger Millerick for a crucial goal. Cork never recovered.

Still there was always the threat of Cork goals. Brian Hayes batted wide on one such attempt, with Michael Breen applying important pressure. Later, Shane Barrett brought another fine save from Barry Hogan and near the end the Tipp goalie had to come off his line to deny another chance at the expense of a ‘65’, which Darragh Fitzgibbon missed.

Darragh McCarthy had a much quieter second half – difficult to sustain that first half impression. It always slightly amuses me when a switch of opponent is credited with the reduced impact, even though little ball came the way of McCarthy and Niall O’Leary in the second period.

Sean Kenneally had what I would term a second-day syndrome. After a highlight performance in a match – such as Kenneally’s against Limerick – it can be difficult to follow up the next day. You’re suddenly in the glare of the limelight and that adds extra pressure.

Still, it shouldn’t define the Moneygall man, who worked hard and shipped a first half injury before being replaced at half-time.
Encouragingly, Jason Forde chipped in with three useful points, as did Gearoid O’Connor; Jake Morris notched 1-1 and I was greatly impressed by the abrasive Alan Tynan.

At midfield Craig Morgan had a strong performance, with Willie Connors pitching in with a typically busy input. It was great to see Oisin O’Donoghue sample action with an instant point – all part of a learning curve.

Overall then it was a useful display by Tipperary, a deserved reward for early season exertions. There’s certainly a buzz back in the side but it’s early doors, with an emphasis now on sustaining impressions. Next up Kilkenny.

Elsewhere, it was deeply disappointing to see Conor O’Donovan’s handpass proposal being defeated so heavily at Congress in Donegal. Over two thirds of voters opposed the motion, which probably means the issue is dead for the next five years at least, though I suspect it won’t go away.

Cork, to their credit, stood with Tipperary by backing the move, albeit they wanted a deferment to facilitate further trialling of the suggestion. Kilkenny, by contrast, did a shameful cop-out, staying neutral and allowing their delegates a free vote. What an abdication by the county leading the senior roll of honour!

Amazingly, the opponents of the proposal made subjective and sweeping judgements without a shred of evidence for backing. For example, Terry Reilly, chairman of the Hurling Development Committee (HDC) stated that Conor O’Donovan’s proposal would create more rucks in hurling games. Liam Keane, chairman of the Playing Rules Committee, said it would slow down the game.

This is a line of argument championed by Michael Duignan and Anthony Daly also. It comes without a scintilla of evidence. In fact, the Freshers’ trial of the rule back in 2023 showed the exact opposite: fewer rucks and a faster game.

The rationale here is simple. The proposal would make it more problematic for a player to run into traffic and risk dispossession, so it puts the emphasis on faster release of the ball. It’s the existing rule that facilitates rucks and thereby slows the game. Yet, lazy analysis argues the opposite.

Former All-Ireland referee, Barry Kelly, in a report highlighted that the number of handpasses in games had now increased to an average of 100 and that 75% of them were illegal. He further highlighted that referees found it impossible to police the rule as it exists.
Yet such views, it appears, have no influence with people like Terry Reilly and Liam Keane, who see nothing wrong with the game at present. Terry Reilly refers to the “skill” of handpassing in the modern day game. Donal Óg Cusack also treasures this “great skill” as he calls it. Haven’t we come to an extraordinary pass when throwing a ball is regarded as a hurling skill.

Anthony Daly’s suggested solution is enforcement of the existing rule. How many times has this approach been tried and failed? You can’t enforce something that’s unenforceable. Ask Barry Kelly, who’s been at the coalface of enforcement.

In the aftermath of the Freshers’ trialling of the proposal back in 2023, it should have been further trialled in the 2024 hurling league. That would have given people a more visible demonstration of the rule and its influence, which I’ve no doubt would have been impactful.

Instead, Croke Park left it as a low priority and allowed a select band of individuals to influence the outcome. It does an injustice to the game of hurling.

P.S. A last reminder of the Supporters’ Club Night at the Dogs this Saturday. Enjoy a great night and, in the process, back our hurlers in their endeavours.