Spirited Tipperary display is basic requirement ahead of huge challenge against Limerick

In a week jam-packed with inter-county activity the headline item is, undeniably, the launch of the senior hurling championship. By now the runners and riders have been parsed and priced and all is set for season ’25 and what it might bring.

The Munster series takes centre stage, much to the chagrin of some in Leinster. With eight of the last ten All-Ireland winners coming from Munster, I guess we can claim some element of pre-eminence.

The Munster campaign is pitiless. There’s not a soft touch in sight; each game is an epic in its own right, so expect some unexpected twists and turns along the way.

READ NEXT: 'If you dwell too much on games, the whole Munster championship is over in a flash'

Limerick come to town on Sunday and we’ll certainly hope they don’t “go to town” on a Tipperary formation that has a fledgling feel to it. The bookies, those unsentimental calculators of monetary risk, have us written off on odds of 11/4 against 3/10 for Limerick. Wouldn’t it be sweet to upset those expectations?

SEE MORE: Popular Tipperary store to close after 100 years of trading

Limerick will expect to beat Tipperary because that’s been the pattern since John Kiely took charge in the fall of 2016. Under Kiely’s control the counties have played eight championship games with the Shannonsiders winning six, drawing one and losing one. There’s even an asterisk attached to that solitary defeat in a round robin game in 2019. It was essentially a dead rubber, with the sides meeting in the Munster final a few weeks later, where Limerick hammered out an emphatic 2-26 to 2-14 victory.

Not much comfort there for Tipperary followers, though there is an interesting snippet from Seamus O’Doherty’s statistics that might give Tipperary something to cling to. Since Limerick’s controversial 1973 Munster final win in Thurles, the counties have met a dozen times in Semple Stadium but the Treaty men have just one victory (2014) from those twelve meetings.

Amazingly, five of those games ended in stalemate. Incidentally, you’ll get odds of 12/1 on Sunday’s game finishing level.Thinking of Donald Rumsfeld’s unknowns, there are a number of imponderables that will engage people ahead of Sunday’s game. For example, how will Tipperary react to that league final defeat? Then there’s the question of Limerick’s whereabouts one year on from their failed drive-for-five.

Limerick’s league campaign was poor, losing three of their six games and finishing just one step above the relegation zone. Their defeat to Wexford in the final round appeared to irk John Kiely more than usual. A lot of work to be done ahead of championship, was the message.

There is a sense that some of the heroes of five All-Ireland wins are not at the same level as previous years. Injuries have certainly taken a toll, as well as the usual wear and tear that prolonged involvement brings. Nickie Quaid is out and Declan Hannon has been struggling to get back.

Gearoid Hegarty was injured too and Peter Casey is only on the road back after that horror injury sustained against Tipperary last year. Darragh O’Donovan and others have also had to deal with various ailments.

Against that there’s a slew of young guns straining at the leash, which suggests the management isn’t short of options. I guess John Kiely’s problem is trying to marry the best of the new guys with the best of the older brigade. It suggests a team in flux, where getting the right balance is the issue.

Still, they’re a formidable side, one that has had our measure for some time now. Reversing that trend won’t be easy.

It’s difficult to know how Tipperary will respond to the league defeat. The regular rounds were encouraging but, as in previous years, the knockout game proved a bridge too far. Now the arrival of the championship raises the tempo even further. Avoiding the pattern of previous years will be a priority.

I’d expect minimal adjustment to the starting fifteen. In defence, Joe Caesar’s place might be under pressure. In fairness he had several positive contributions and was unfortunate that an unwise handpass led to one of the Cork goals. Inter-county is unforgiving, any slip is likely to be severely punished. Seamus Kennedy is an obvious contender for that slot but there may be a view that the Holycross man deserves to remain at number five.

The role of Willie Connors might be under scrutiny also. One view sees him as more effective coming off the bench when an injection of energy is needed in the second half. Darragh Stakelum’s form when he came on against Cork should push his claim for inclusion.

I can’t see major surgery in the forward division either. Jake Morris and Jason Forde are surely automatic and Darragh McCarthy and Alan Tynan will likely start also, despite being substituted the last day. Tynan’s withdrawal might have been linked to his yellow card, which we know was a case of mistaken identity. Sam O’Farrell needs to be careful on that front.

Gearoid O’Connor might be under pressure to start after being substituted in the league final. The options include the McGraths or even Sean Kenneally, who did well on introduction. He certainly made an impact against Limerick in the regular league round.

The team faces a huge challenge and it doesn’t get easier subsequently, with away games to Cork and Clare. By the time we welcome Waterford to the Stadium on May 18 the shape of the championship could already be decided.

A basic requirement is that the team puts in a spirited display. Macbeth was encouraged to “be bloody, bold and resolute”. We’ll exclude the bloody part but being bold and resolute certainly fits requirements. Having a bit of fire in the belly is definitely a prerequisite entering any championship clash with Limerick.

We’ll hope for tighter defending than we saw against Cork. Goals are still major items in hurling and Gillane and company have potential in that area. A high workrate that prevents easy supply from outfield is also an essential aspect of defence. A lot of Limerick’s most creative play is orchestrated around the middle third, Cian Lynch often being the key playmaker. Stifling that would be useful.

The attack too has, at times, to defend, especially with the likes of Diarmaid Byrnes at half back. His potential to hit points from that zone can be damaging.

Overall, we won’t have many backers but let’s play the underdog role and have a pot at the favourites. The quality of the effort is what will matter most to Tipperary followers.

Good luck to all Tipperary teams, hurling and football, during this busy week.