Tipperary Hurling Tipperary GAA Premierview

Tipp V Kilkenny Article - Yank Crowe

You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting."
Daniel 5:27

A quote from the good book seems as good a place as any to start with Sunday's biblical semi-final trimming at the hands of Kilkenny. Certainly there has been plenty of wailing and gnashing of teeth in the days hence. The Declan Ryan era presumably ended at the weekend, and sad to say, few will mourn it. As we survey the wreckage of the Ryan / Dunne era, it has to be said that it is unpleasant to see two great Tipperary men brought low. They were two heroic players who seemed to have a suitable pedigree having managed an All Ireland winning minor team in Ryan's case and coached that minor team and a successful U-21 team in Dunne's. However whilst Tipp may have won two Munster championships and seven championship games under their tenure, their legacy will be defined by failure against hurling's standard bearers, the latter defined by complete systems failure in the second half and a bizarre tactical decision which has become a national joke (judging by the guffawing I heard on Morning Ireland the other morning anyway).

The prevailing feeling on Sunday evening was one of sheer shock and numbness. It was difficult to believe what we had just witnessed. After a first half where we were hanging on by our finger nails for long periods we somehow turned around a point in front, after a mistake by Herity handed us a goal and inspired a brief purple patch. The second half though was utter disintegration, and we were a rabble from a long way out: it was a chastening feeling indeed looking at the clock and realising there was some fifteen minutes left - the margin already at thirteen points - and wondering just how high it might climb. Then there was the Lar sideshow; I'm going to add much more to the reams that have already been written about this, except to say one thing: if they really wanted to try to force the matchup they were apparently looking for, why not deploy Lar in an orthodox left half forward position, with Pa on the right wing? At least then Kilkenny would have had to make a decision whether to switch Walsh out of his normal spot to left half back and bring Tyrell out to right half back, or else put Walsh on Lar. Or am I missing something here?

The argument will rage over who has more responsibility over the fiasco; there has been plenty of jaundiced comment about the players fondness for various distractions including the pub, Facebook, twitter, their newspaper columns, their own reflections in the mirror and whatever having yourself. Looking in from outside though they seem like a decent bunch who want to do their best for Tipp. What is clear though is that a cohort of players which was perceived as having a bright future has lost its way badly. Of the five U-21s who famously started the 2010 final, it as hard to argue that any of them are better players now than then - Bonnar is probably the best candidate - and several of them are appreciably worse. Ultimately it is up to the management to create a framework for the players to produce their best; unfortunately when it has really been put up to them over the last couple of years that framework has proved inadequate.

There have been myriad hefty tomes written on the theory of it, but from my experience the main task of a manager at its most basic in any sphere is to figure out what he or she wants to achieve, then to communicate it in a way that leaves no-one in any doubt about where individual responsibility lies within that whole. Sounds simple, but people who can do it effectively are rare. The displays Tipp gave in the 2009 and 2010 finals showed the extent to which the management succeeded. On the biggest days of the year and in games of unparalled intensity the players were able to fulfil their individual roles without blinking. In contrast when the heat came on on Sunday the players appeared to have no clue of what they were trying to achieve. The parallels with 2001-2003 are obvious and have attracted much comment, but we are not stuck in the cycle of history; the road ahead is yet unmapped. It is clear though that the next moves are crucial.

Probably the most problematic aspect of Declan Ryan's tenure has been the lack of a clearly defined style of play. Last year's campaign was defined by not quite an aimless approach to attack, more a singular aim: get the ball into the danger zone as quickly as possible, and don't fuss over the gift wrapping. After a calamitous start to the league there was an attempt to evolve a more measured style of play, involving hand passes and short hurley passes. We played some nice stuff at times during the Munster championship. However when the pressure was applied in the second half on Sunday we splintered; clearances reverted to aimless bombs and any sense of coherence in the forwards disappreared. Eamon O'Shea's theories of forward play may revolve around movement but surely it doesn't mean forwards indiscriminately moving all over the place with no structure at all, like a team hurling to the music of a free jazz ensemble.

Part of moving forward will be seeking to get back what we have lost. What things did we do in 2010 that we're not doing any more?

In 2010 we kept our half back line very close to the full back line. Whenever the ball broke around the full back line help was never far away: look at the number of times our half backs picked up breaking ball around the goal in that final. On Sunday we lost this race back for breaking ball to the Kilkenny half forwards on numerous occasions. This compactness in defence was facilitated in 2010 by our wing forwards, both of whom put in massive shifts in that final. Gear?id Ryan in particular had an incredible second half after struggling in the first. He constantly popped up to help down the right wing, which allowed Declan Fanning to hold his position. His dispossesions of Michael Fennelly twice in the space of a minute around the 60-minute mark were typical of his contribution.

I had mentioned before Sunday's game that Tom Stapleton would need similar protection, but he didn't get it. For Fogarty's goal the deepest of our forwards was about five metres outside the 45. Tom Stapleton was marking Fogarty on the Tipp 65 and had to turn and sprint back - the very scenario we were seeking to avoid - and he was easily outpaced by Fogarty despite a head start. Conor O'Brien and Paul Curran had already been taken away from goal by the runs of their men so that when Fogarty broke through, Michael Cahill alone was covering the entire space in front of goal. For Larkin's goal, the whole defence were pulled away outside the 21 - the two nearest defenders were beyond the D - and there was a swathe of space for Larkin to turn into and not a covering player in sight. Paul Curran has not had a good season and was turned far too easily, but he battled harder than anyone on Sunday an deserved better than being hung out to dry by the people in front of him. Padraic Maher, who swept across the width of the pitch in the 2010 final, hardly touched the ball in the second half.

In 2010 we made everything difficult for the Kilkenny players. No clearance was easily made. Any player in possession could expect to be challenged by at least two Tipp players. Too often on Sunday players were able to do things unmolested by anyone in a blue and gold jersey. And I don't have stats on it, but I would reckon we were destroyed in the breaking ball contest. This comes down to one thing: desire. The desire we displayed as a team in 2010 was incredible. There was also a conviction and an utter absence of doubt which was sorely absent this year. Shane McGrath's double hook in the first half - his face smacking against Eoin Larkin's hip in the shuddering slo-mo as he showed reckless disregard for his own safety - set the tone for the display that day. Reigniting that flame is vital. How could players like Noel McGrath who displayed such brilliance in 2010 look so lost in recent times? This is a vital task for the new management team.

I think we also need to find ways to use every player at our disposal. There has been much comment on the fact that we produce either skilful forwards who won't fight or fighters with limited skill, and that Cody would never tolerate such players (though this is clearly untrue; surely every Kilkenny fan has looked at TJ Reid at some point and wondered if he would ever use that big frame and those wondrous skills in combination). We also have a distaste for players whose only perceived attribute is to score off the hard work of others. Ray Allen of the NBA's Miami Heat - a 36-year old with a dubious recent history on the injury front - will earn $3 million next year largely due to a single gift, to get to open spots on the basketball court, collect the ball from others and shoot it through the hoop. Such players can be accomodated, but its about balance, and identifying and developing players who can perform the different roles required.

Finally we need to get back to doing the things that worked in attack. One of our favoured attacking gambits under Sheedy/O'Shea was to clear out the space in front of goal leaving one man inside. Eoin's goal in Cork in 2008, and Lar's first half goal and the one Noel set up for him all came from such a ploy. In particular we looked to hit this space after we turned the ball over out the field with quick mid range passes off the hurley. We attempted to utilise this gambit at times on Sunday, but we were turning over little ball to attack from and the fact that Bonnar or Buggy were the men left inside showed a fundamental misunderstanding of the tactic. Stopping the opposition backs catching the ball was another pillar of our success. And we generally favoured deliveries to the wings in 2010 as opposed to the ball we boomed down the middle to Brian Hogan on Sunday. We often played the ball shorter to give advantage to our attack rather than looking to wear the leather off the ball with every clearance. We also need to go back to what basketball coaches call "spacing the floor". For most of the game on Sunday our attacking players seemed jumbled in a heap in the middle (when they weren't off on a tour of the corner flag) and we never stretched Kilkenny to any degree.

The last great nadir of Tipp hurling (and there have been a few too many in recent decades) was the 2007 mud wrestle in the morass of the also-rans that was the Limerick trilogy, followed by Babs' last stand, going into battle without Brendan Cummins and Eoin Kelly and with three players who would never play another minute of championship for Tipperary. That September Brendan Maher raised the Irish Press Cup and the seeds were sown for a revival of our fortunes at senior level. Our minors have a chance to replicate that success in a couple of weeks after a great display against Galway. It would be a warmly-welcomed lift to the spirits, so best of luck to William Maher and his young charges. There has been much discussion around potential successors to the senior gig; the list is not long, and largely uninspiring. These players have succeeded before, and even after Sunday - sad, delusional optimist that I am - I believe they can succeed again, with the right men in place to guide them. Let's hope a suitable candidate emerges.
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Tipperary V Waterford Munster Hurling Final 2012, 20.7.2012 The Yank Crow

By stealth it seems we have become kings of our back yard. Tipp put the stamp on a half-decade of dominance with a fourth Munster title in fifth seasons, an outcome scarcely imaginable during the miserable five years which preceded it. We opened the sequence with a win in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, something which we hadn't managed since the venue opened in 1976, and closed it out with win against Waterford at the same venue. The interim brought three more wins against Cork, three against Clare, three against Waterford, and a solitary win this year against Limerick, making a total of 11 in all, more than all our opponents put together (the same period saw 5 wins for Waterford, 2 each for Cork and Clare, and a fat zero for Limerick). The aberrational flop against Cork in 2010 was the only entry in the debit side of the ledger. Apart from that and the 2008 All Ireland semi when the team was still at the embryonic stage, the only defeats have been a pair of final losses to ProbablyTheGreatestHurlingTeamOfAllTime. This team really know how to win hurling matches.

In spite of all this, they retain a coterie of doubters, within and without the county. Daithi Regan thinks Tipp can't win the All Ireland unless the Lar of 2010 resurfaces. Ger Loughnane thinks Tipp could challenge if they stop acting like a bunch of children who've lost their mother, whatever that means. We could compose our own Dead Sea Scrolls with the volume of commentary from last September's defeat. Hurling scribes have short horizons: after a memorable September in 2010 a new golden age of Tipperary hurling was ushered in; one final defeat later, and a facile Kilkenny win over a Dublin team whose own manager adjudged to have played worse than a bunch of random strangers, and a new thousand year reign of darkness from Noreside was assured; that is until an ambush by Galway "liberated" the championship and saw Joe Canning immediately installed as bookies favourite for hurler of the year.

If the championship had been liberated, nobody appeared to tell the Waterford supporters, who failed to materialise in any great numbers on Sunday. It seems the D-Day landing force from West of the Shannon haven't made it that far yet. The minor hurlers provided an early tonic with a good win over Clare. After shipping an early goal Tipp dominated the rest of the half with the silken wristed John McGrath and the sharp shooting Stephen Cahill to the fore. They appeared to lose their way somewhat after half time and allowed Clare back into the match, but they closed it out well with Tipp providing all the entries to the highlight reel in the last five minutes: John McGrath making a leaping catch reminiscent of his namesake Ken; Ronan Maher brilliantly dispossessing a Clare forward when they were hunting a goal when many players would simply have fouled; and a scintillating move which really should have resulted in a goal for Kevin Slattery. For Tipp it was a first provincial title at the grade since Brendan Mahers's celebrated 2007 crop, while the ten dual players on the panel join a very select group of Tipp players who have won provincial minor titles in both codes. Hopefully they can drive on from here, the crisp sod in Croker should suit their style of play more than the spongy surface of the Pairc at any rate.

And so to the senior game. For the supporters, I think that was this by far our most comfortable outing to date this year. An insipid enough opening half with the breeze should have generated some anxiety when we turned over level, but in truth Waterford simply didn't look to have it in them to trouble us. An improved second half performance with Brendan Maher and Michael Cahill beginning to get their mojo back, Brendan Cummins making some good stops, our wing backs dominating and Shane Bourke taking a great poachers goal was enough to see us home with some comfort. Eoin Kelly got forty minutes under his belt, even if Pa Bourke might wonder what singled him out for the trapdoor. And then there was Lar; in last year's final against the same opposition Lar couldn't have read the breaks around goal better if he had read the match report in Biff Tannen's Sports Almanac beforehand. This year he rarely ventured towards the square, as if repelled by an invisible forcefield. He rarely shot for the posts either, at times eschewing easy scores in favour of making the killer pass when it wasn't really on. We've seen a few iterations already in his career: from the coltish, erratic early years through to the the goal plundering assassin of the last few seasons. I'm not sure if his latest incarnation as the hewer of water for the other forwards is some kind of act of atonement for his spring disappearing act, but it doesn't really suit him. I hope we get to see him closer to goal in Croke Park.

Elsewhere as we head on to the semis the negatives are few. Paul Curran's fitness remains crucial. Cover for midfield is also unproven. There were very brief glimpses of vintage Eoin Kelly in the goal chance he created out of nothing and the point he scored on Sunday, but it remains to be seen if he has more in him. Both Stapleton - who was otherwise impressive - and Conor O'Mahony were troubled by Waterford puckouts at stages on Sunday. In particular when the Waterford keeper dipped puckouts into the area between the '65 and '45 for the Waterford half forwards to run onto we struggled, with Stapleton giving away a few clumsy frees. Frankly half forwards shouldn't be able to take puckouts on the run at shoulder or even waist height, and it could be easily prevented with a bit more screening in front of the half line by our midfielders or even half forwards if necessary. Its looking like Kilkenny in the semi, with Limerick the nominated stooges for the promised catlash. If we have anything in us at all after really failing to front up against the same opposition last September, we'll be all out for this one.

In the meantime we have a Munster U-21 final to look forward to, and an Intermediate final also if that piques your interest. Clare should be roaring hot favourites after their demolition of Waterford, but you couldn't but be impressed with the manner of Tipp's two victories in the competition so far. The look well coached, well organised by Ken Hogan, and play with a compelling mixture of precision and reckless abandon. It being Ennis, it surely won't be dull at any rate.

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Tipperary V Cork Munster Hurling Semi Final 2012, 24.6.2012 The Yank Crow

You could get used to this, winning on Leeside. After waiting decades to win down there, we do it twice in the space of 4 years. Of course that much-publicised stat was always misleading given the low number of actual clashes between the teams in Cork, but given that there was a long period recently enough where we couldn't beat them anywhere we'll take it. Its not long ago that Donal Og Cusack was confident enough to write something to the effect of "we usually beat Tipp, and when we don't, we know why". Recording a fourth win in five meetings since 2007 therefore is an achievement to be celebrated and enjoyed.

Tipp came into the game with the questions which have lingered since last September still hanging over them. Most of the scrutiny was on the management team, who spent the spring being compared unfavourably to their predecessors - or about to be replaced by their predecessor in at least one case if you paid attention to the rumour mill - having to try to prepare a team for championship with the circus around Lar's departure in full flow, and facing criticism about everything from the quality of training to Declan Ryan's sideline demeanour. Questions were being asked too about the players, with Christy O'Connor leaking stories about loose lips in Coppers helping to sink our September ship. Tipp at least had the advantage over Cork of having had a game played in the championship already. What you took from the Limerick game though probably depended on the nature of your disposition: pessimists had a field day with Tipp's leaden display for a large chunk of the game, while those with a sunnier outlook could cling to the last quarter comeback and the impact of the Tipp subs. Which Tipp would we see in the Pairc?

Cork of course had a few questions of their own. Cork's last outing was their feeble league final display. They appeared to have been developing nicely through the league with JBM back on board. He still retains the aura of a superstar, if a very unassuming one. Throw in the emergence of exciting young players like of Lehane, Coughlan and Sweetnam and after all of the difficulties of the previous few years hope seemed a legitimate sentiment in Cork. With the imprints of the Kilkenny jackboot all over their back after the league final though, was this fragile recovery stillborn?

In the event Tipp continued where they left off the last day and turned in their most focused display for some time, especially in attack. Cork's young tyros though contributed plenty to a very exciting and entertaining game. Cork's workrate combined with some vintage hooking and blocking from their forwards made clearing our lines a struggle and we were lucky that Cork didn't make more of the looks at goal that they got. Nonetheless our own workrate more than matched them and when I think back to how well some of our players played, I find it hard to fathom, how was it even close never mind a single point being the margin? There's no doubt that John O'Brien's sending off had a major bearing on that. It came at a time when we had just goaled and looked like we were finally getting on top. The troubles in our full back line too on a day when they got more help from out the field than has been the norm of late was also a concern.

Having said all that, there was much to like in the Tipp display. The move of Noel McGrath to full forward worked a treat, as his 1-4 from play indicates, and that doesn't measure his involvement in several other scores. Bonnar Maher's value needs no embellishment at this stage and he was very much the WD-40 for the scoring talents around him. Pa Bourke - after forgetting himself and commiting an early Pa-ism which allowed Lehane to score - oozed class after that in what was his best championship display for Tipp. He really is repaying the faith that was shown in him over the last few years. The fact that Noel and Pa were both prominent with Tipp needing scores with the game in the fire near the end was great to see. The way that they combined to feed Lar to earn a free with around ten minutes left was a moment of exceptional class. In addition Pa's freetaking was near flawless.

The crowd's reaction to Lar's return brought to mind a headline I saw on the front of the French sports paper L'Equipe recently at the outset of the European championship; beside a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo: "ATTENDU COMME LE MESSIE": translated, awaited as the messiah. Frankly, I don't agree with this reaction at all, at all. Lar left, because he wanted to. He came back, presumably also because he wanted to. Am I happy to have him back? Absolutely. Am I readying the fatted calf? Not on your nelly. He looked away off match fitness yesterday but still managed to be pivotal for Noel McGrath's goal. We will need him, that's for sure. John O'Brien offered an aerial option and was involved in several nice moves including the goal. The sending off though was unforgivable for a player of his experience, and could have cost us the game. Buggy's use of the ball remains a work in progress, but he plays hard and wins the dirty ball and I hope to God his injury isn't serious. Shane Bourke continues to look sensational off the bench. He must be very close to starting now.

In the middle Shane McGrath give his best display for some time, even if he was maybe struggling for a finish. Our lack of options in midfield is a concern. With Gearoid Ryan's place in attack under serious threat maybe a role as a midfield sub beckons. James Woodlock struggled to get into the game when he came on, though one brilliant - and whistle clean - tackle on the sideline with a few minutes left was noteworthy. Brendan Maher drove forward a few times like the player of 2010 but that seventy minute display remains in absentia. I wasn't too impressed either with his head shaking, hurley slinging display when substituted. Save your frustrations for the training field.

In the half back line, Tom Stapleton was right in front of us for the second half and I was very happy with how he went. He did a lot of things right, he's tough out and he competes, and competes some more. With the two boys beside him it makes for a hardy unit which sets a physical tone for the team which we badly need. Much of the talk before was about how Naughton might exploit him for speed but on the few occasions he got on the ball in Tom's bailiwick he didn't look like he fancied taking a gallop down that wing too much, despite his pre-match shaping on Paudie. Paudie was erratic enough by this standards, but was prominent near the end when we were defending our lead. Please, please, please stop the soloing though. Please.

Unfortunately the positives start to peter out the closer you get to the Tipp goal. Michael Cahill and Paul Curran did not have good league campaigns. With what passes for summer in Ireland in full flow, the hope would have been that by now the graph of their form would be in an upward direction, but it hasn't happened. Its not an exaggeration to say that the mess which is our full back line threatens to derail the whole operation if it cannot be remedied. Cahill was generally out in front, but his touch is uncertain at present and on the ball his composure frequently deserted him. O'Brien did his best work when sweeping onto breaking ball and covering for others: in one-to-one contests though the impression persists that he remains a good hurler without a natural starting position at inter-county level, and certainly not at corner back. Curran was forceful in the air as usual but when the ball came in lower he looked troubled by Paudie O'Sullivan's elegant stickwork and clever positioning. He's not helped by the fact that Cahill seems too at odds with his own game to offer his usual sweeping cover. Cummins puckouts were the usual mixum gatherum, some excellent, like one up the middle to Paudie Maher in the first half; some poor like the one to Lar which came too late and got him at the point of his run which favoured the back man.

Some stuff to ponder then ahead of the Munster Final. Hopefully common sense will prevail and the match be brought to Thurles. Whatever Cork offers in atmosphere is more than offset by the horrible seats, the pitch, and the access. We should be too good for Waterford, though you would ask do we have a player to mark Mullane at present? Before worrying about that though the glow from this win should linger for a while. A final aside: I must say I enjoyed the Primary Game yesterday, I thought the standard was as good as I've seen at that level. There was a lad playing number 7 for the Tipp boys who was a dinger of a player, skilful and with a real feel for the game. One point arrowed over from the middle was as good as anything in the senior game. The match programme revealed him to be one Ross Bonner, Cashel BNS. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree perhaps?




Tipperary V Limerick Munster Hurling Quarter Final 2012-
The Yank Crowe

There's a lot of talk about high performing teams in my workplace at the
moment. Everyone wants to know what the secret is in taking a disparate
group of individuals and turning them into a harmonious team with a
relentless drive and focus. There have been reams of print devoted to
the subject, endless research and models and theories and techniques. In
spite of all of this the alchemy which produces great team performance
remains elusive, and this is as true in the sporting arena as anywhere
else. One could not but be impressed with the sense of mission which
Chelsea conjured seemingly from the ether to propel them from the brink
of elimination to Champions League victory. On the flip side the
Tipperary hurlers have in recent times being playing like a group which
has lost its mojo; a clearly talented group of individuals has not been
able to unite and deliver on the field in 2012.

For approximately 55 minutes yesterday this sense of malaise was
pervasive. Make no mistake, we were staring into the abyss. When we
claimed the Senior and U-21 All Irelands in quick succession in 2010 it
seemed like a golden future was assured: we had just dispatched the
great Kilkenny playing a scintillating brand of hurling; a trio of
generational talents - Noel McGrath and Brendan and Padraic Maher had
miraculously appeared together in the same age cohort; and Lar Corbett
was in the midst of a spectacular late-career flowering. Since then
things have not run to plan, between management changes, injuries, loss
of form, an All Ireland Final lost amidst rumblings about attitude,
preparedness and team selection, and the departure of Corbett from the
panel. Ger Loughnane seemed vindicated in his 2011 judgement that Tipp
were "soft", and the manner of our performances against Dublin and
Kilkenny suggested that a generation of players which was supposed to
rescue us from the tippy-tappy disease which had proved ineradicable at
all levels of Tipp hurling for much of the '00s seemed to have succumbed
themselves.

The real unvoiced fear which lay over yesterday's fixture was that it
would ultimately frank our Spring form in the a most unwelcome way: it
would confirm our inexorable regression and the final funeral for that
golden future. At worst it would confirm that we had in a matter of
months shrunk back to that mid-decade mire under Doyle, Hogan, and Babs,
culminating in the horror shows of the "trilogy" and the Wexford game in
2007, the purgatory of flailing around amongst the also rans. With
twenty minutes to go - seven points down, with the game going in one
direction only - the promise of a season lay in tatters with May not
done; regardless of our success in exploiting the back door in 2010,
defeat here would have broken us I'm sure: all that would await would
likely be a desultory run through the qualifiers before we were put out
of our misery in the quarters. 2007 reprise.

Somehow though we survived. A Bonnar Maher inspired comeback saw us hit
1-10 in that closing spell as Limerick did a good impression of a
marathon runner hitting the wall. Whether that was down to a combination
of a scorcher of a day, a hurculean defensive effort and a lack of
viable subs, or whether you believe the Ciaran Carey criticisms around
the standard of preparation were vindicated, credit Tipp with finally
applying the pressure which opened cracks where hitherto there had been
none. Our half back line and midfield got on top for the first time, all
of our subs made valuable contributions, and we hurled - belatedly -
with a will which suggested we weren't ready to check out just yet.

The first half was a continuum with our league form: lethargy abounded,
Limerick were first to the breaking ball, we were in trouble in multiple
positions, and even marquee performers like Paudie Maher seemed to be
dragged into the morass around them. The anxiety was pervasive: simple
catches were fumbled, frees were squandered, and nervous defenders
commited clumsy fouls. Limerick were giving as all we wanted and more in
the physical stakes, and in response we seemed as astonished at - and
unprepared for - the intensity as we had in the Dublin semi-final last
year. The Tipp sideline moved swiftly and James Woodlock was first to
go, replaced by Shane McGrath. A Pa Bourke goal created by a nice stick
pass from Buggy kept us in touch, but we handed it back needlessly when
Michael Cahill couldn't complete the job of clearing after a great
Cummins save from Mulcahy, and with Tipp's defence in chaos the ball was
sent back to Mulcahy again who made the most of his second chance. In
spite of Limerick's splendid economy - 1 wide in the first half - they
only turned around up by a single point and with some wind assistance to
come we might have felt like the storm might blow itself out.

In the event the opposite happened. Limerick raised their game yet again
and reeled off a succession of scores. We looked a busted flush, heavy
legged, uninspired, and getting no assistance from Barry Kelly's erratic
refereeing. Ryan and co. emptied the bench, and in came Conor O'Brien,
Bonnar and Seamie Callinan. The sight of Eoin Kelly departing with the
second half hardly in motion suggested a ruthlessness on the sideline
which was needed. We finally began to move in attack as Bonnar's runs -
which seem incapable of describing anything other than a straight line -
finally exposed the frailty in the middle of a Limerick rearguard in
which neither full nor centre back were a natural to their position. Pa
Bourke hit a splendid score to finally get us on the mark from play, and
slowly but surely - with Maher, O'Mahony, Stapleton and McGrath in front
of them beginning to catch everything as Limerick's use of the ball
deteriorated - we reeled them in. Conor O'Brien, following his man out
the field notched a great score. After Callinan failed to convert a good
goal chance Buggy applied the coup de grace to the comeback as Bonnar's
run onto the Kilruane man's break occupied fully one third of the
Limerick team and as the ball spilled behind them all Buggy was onto the
break in an instant to flick it to the net. Shane Bourke, turning in a
sensational ten minute cameo as a sub, hit the score of the match, an
unerring wristy strike from a tight angle.

So we survive a brush with extinction; the hope is that in doing so and
in the manner of our comeback we have finally rediscovered the vim and
vigour which made us such a formidable proposition not so long ago. The
performance on Leeside will have to match the tenor of the last twenty
in Thurles for the duration if we are to have a chance. The subs
yesterday will all feel they have a claim on a start the next day and
let's hope they ram the point home in training over the next few weeks.
We still have some key men searching for their best form: Brendan Maher
was much improved yesterday without hitting the all consuming heights of
his 2010 season. Noel McGrath continues to contribute on the scoreboard
but remains stubbornly peripheral for large swathes of general play;
with both Kelly and Corbett absent in the Spring there was a leadership
vacuum in attack he might have been expected to fill, but it didn't
happen. And on the subject of Kelly, how much road he has left at this
level is now an open question. Further back, the troubles of both corner
backs yesterday will also be a concern given that their marking
assignments in Cork will be cut from the same cloth. On the plus side
though Buggy continues to evolve into something more than a one
dimensional target man: yesterday he showcased his ability to corral
loose ball and link with others, as well as his steadily improving
finishing. Likewise Pa Bourke paid back some of the faith shown in him
with a performance that was full of determination, epitomised by the
ball he won on his knees for Shane Bourke in the closing stages;
significantly, both were prominent during the stage of the match when
more celebrated and experienced colleagues were foundering around them.


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Tipp V Cork 22.4.2012
The Yank Crowe

Tipp's erratic 2012 league campaign petered out on Sunday with a
dispiriting and ugly loss to a resurgent Cork. We played with a state of
collective torpidity all the way through, and when Cork lifted their
game in the second half we had no answer, a couple of goals keeping us
in touch for longer than our general play merited. The last quarter was
a procession for Cork: a point down going into it, they won by seven, as
we seemed to run out of gas completely. They advance to face Kilkenny in
the final whilst we are left to lick our wounds and prepare for the
Limerick game.

Its difficult to know where to start with the problems we had on Sunday.
Defensively we were struggling all through, though we weren't really
exposed in the first half as Cork seemed as lethargic as ourselves. The
second half though exposed numerous problems which are going to be hard
to rectify. Our inability to cope with movement off the ball is very
troubling. This was illustrated perfectly by the problems David Young
was having: in the second half against Dublin he came in and performed
effectively by taking up good positions under the dropping ball and
pulling hard. On Sunday however against an opponent in Cronin who was
bigger, stronger, and perpetually in motion, he was never able to get
his feet set to pull but rather found himself always trailing behind. At
this level you either need the zip in the legs to stay with your man, or
better again the anticipation to know where he's going before he's
figured it out himself, and unfortunately Young showed on Sunday that he
has neither.

A Cork point in the first half showcased the numerous times we gave Cork
forwards space by being drawn to the man in possession: Jamie Coughlan's
solo down the right wing had been held up, but a second Tipp player
converged on him leaving a free man outside (O'Farrell I think?), who
was able to shoot unopposed from Coughlan's pass. We also seem to be
conceding far too many frees, not from aggression or hard tackling, but
from a general lack of precision around the tackle and a tendency to
panic once the man gets away at all. And on the subject of panic,
Michael Cahill was up in a heap for much of the second half. Brendan
Cummins was shaky both in handling and puckouts. Tom Stapleton wasn't
terrible, but Niall McCarthy was prominent on the scoreboard and
elsewhere. O'Brien was steadier in the other corner, but as a unit we
were far from convincing.

Conor O'Mahony faded badly in the second half but I thought he played
very well for 55 minutes or so; at times he was the only thing
preventing the half back line being pulled completely asunder. A switch
with Padraic Maher for the last 20 might have benefited both players.
Like almost everybody I never want to see Maher playing full back again
for Tipp. He is the most complete defender we have produced in my
lifetime by a distance: a physical monster with the footwork of a ballet
dancer, and a preternatural gift for anticipating where the ball is
going next. When he plays at left half back he changes the whole game.
We have seen opposition teams actively try to keep the ball away from
that wing when he is patrolling it; they are willing to concede a whole
half of the attacking part of the field just to try to limit his
influence. If he hadn't played there underage I don't think the notion
of him playing full back would ever have arisen, it just makes no sense.

In the middle of the field neither team had much dominance. Gardiner was
largely anonymous for Cork, while McLoughlin put in a hard shift without
being as dominant as in the drawn game earlier this month. Woodlock was
similar, you will always get honesty of effort from him even if the end
product is never guaranteed. Brendan Maher was withdrawn early, there
was a scary moment in the first half when he came down hard on his
ankle, I don't know if that was a factor in his substitution. In truth
he has had an indifferent spring, a shadow of the player who dominated
the 2010 championship. Given that Sweetnam was absent on Sunday parity
in this sector really wasn't good enough, but that's about all we
managed.

Up front we started with a slick passing move which produced the opening
score for Pa, showcasing the style of play we have been trying to
develop in previous games. Unfortunately we spent most of the rest of
the half playing aimless hurling and we struggled to create scoring
chances. We abandoned the puckout mix which had been trying to develop
in previous games - seemingly forgetting why we adopted it in the first
place - in favour of going long with a stiff breeze behind us to very
little effect. Ball winning was again an issue. John O'Brien made
several excellent catches in the second half but as the only real threat
he was soon double or triple teamed under the high ball and snuffed out
of the game. Shane Bourke played like he was in a daze, while Noel was
just not in the game, with Cadogan again a dominant figure. Gearóid
struggled to make much impact on the dominant William Egan. Buggy used
all of his height and weight advantage on Shane O'Neill and was our only
threat of a goal, while Pa was unlucky to miss with a couple of shots
that would have buffed the scoring column a bit more and franked a hard
working performance. They can look back on their collected league
performances with some satisfaction, and should start come championship.

When it came to substitutions Cork's switches were far more effective
than ours. Shane Maher was fairly solid, but you wonder what damage
Lehane would have done if he had been on him for longer. Sweetnam
likewise made an instant impact for Cork. On the other hand Shane
McGrath was dismal, while Eoin Kelly made zero impact. I was surprised
that he went for goal from a free on the 21, given that his record with
them for Tipp is far from impressive. Given that Pa Bourke had scored
one impressively only recently, why wasn't he entrusted with the task?

With championship looming, what can be done? Declan in his post-match
comments emphasised the issue as being more mental than physical.
There's no doubt that we're not where we expected to be after a
spectacular few weeks in September 2010. We were promised the hurling
world would lay at our feet, but it hasn't happened, for various
reasons. Lar has followed Sheedy and co. and moved on, while Eoin's
continuing effectiveness at this level is an open question. Bonnar Maher
is unlikely to be a factor until much later in the summer. There are
question marks over selection in every line of the team, and questions
over the form of key players. There are parallels to the 2010 league,
when we parlayed poor league form into a championship thumping by Cork.
"It just the league" can be used as a defence for just about anything
that arose from Sunday, but form can rarely be turned on at will.

Management of course are bearing the brunt of the criticism, and they
are not above reproach, but I think the players need to take more
responsibilty in all this. I would like to see the likes of Brendan and
Padraic Maher take the reins of this team, they shouldn't feel the need
to defer to Eoin or Brendan any more. We know from underage campaigns
the leadership qualities they have, and their time has come at senior
level, maybe a bit earlier than they might have expected. We still have
plenty of talent, but we need to return to brass tacks: work rate,
discipline, honesty of effort, and aggression most of all. If we do that
we have a chance. We have five weeks to the Limerick game, and if we
survive that we have another four to Cork. Time enough to put things
right.
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