IT’S ELEVEN YEARS since Tipperary beat Waterford in Walsh park, that being their last win in the Munster senior football championship.
Since then they’ve lost to Kerry five times, Cork twice and Limerick three times. That’s ten straight championship defeats in the province.
This Saturday evening they face Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds, but despite their recent record in the province, they won’t be coming in as major underdogs.
Not Them Again
The new seeded Munster championship format saved Tipp from a possible fifth consecutive opening round fixture with Kerry. Their combined losing margin in the last four years’ games being 46 points.
It’s not all been doom and gloom
Since 2003, Tipp have reached six Munster minor finals and they’ve reached six U21 Munster finals. Of the 12 finals they have won two minor titles and one U21 title, while in 2011 they won the All-Ireland minor title.
That year they beat a Dublin team in the final which included Ciaran Kilkenny, Paul Mannion and Jack McCaffrey.
WE KNOW HOW TO WIN
Peter Creedon has picked an extremely youthful team to face Limerick this weekend. The spine of the team is littered with the class of 2011, as Steven O’Brien lines out at midfield, Ian Fahey at centre forward and Michael Quinlivan at full-forward.
Colin O’Riordan makes his debut at wing-back, the same position in which he played in the minor team in 2011 – when he was still U16.
Both O’Riordan and O’Brien formed a midfield partnership for the U21 team over the past two years, with the duo both having won Minster minor and U21 hurling medals.
Wing back Peter Acheson was a star of the U21 team in 2010, but he has also been highlighted for excellent performances in the Sigerson cup competiton. He has an All-Ireland minor hurling medal from 2007 – a team which contained Noel McGrath and Padraig Maher.
Limerick
Meanwhile, Saturday’s opponents Limerick have also struggled to win games in the province in recent years.
Since pipping Tipperary in 2009, barring wins over Waterford, Limerick they have failed to beat any other team in Munster (including Clare).
Over the past five years their loss margin totals 45 points, losing last year by 18 points against Cork.
Worse still, John Galvin seems to be nearing the end. One of the all time great midfielders, Galvin hasn’t been selected to start Saturday’s clash and his absence may have a key mental effect on both teams.
