How the Tipperary defence will tackle Cork’s forwards
Liam Cahill faces an interesting mix of options which have been tested in previous encounters but are yet to click as a unit against the direct-running Rebels. What could they change?
Brian Hayes is the first man to stop with 10 goals and 10 more assists to his name this year. Michael Breen and Eoghan Connolly tagged the Hurler of the Year front-runner in the league and Munster defeats. Could it be the turn of Ronan Maher?
The Premier captain has shackled the opposition’s main aerial threat in recent outings to good effect. As a puck-out target who loiters around the D, those are the same spaces Maher likes to frequent.
If Cahill did free up Connolly, he could go out to wing-back and roam forward when Declan Dalton drops deep. With 0-3 against Kilkenny, his long-range striking would counter Dalton’s similar toolkit.
Alan Connolly has six goals from four starts against Tipp, yet Robert Doyle coped well on him in Munster. That match-up is likely to remain, which could leave Michael Breen on Patrick Horgan in another repeat pairing.
Craig Morgan was switched to the half-back line in both Leeside defeats and has remained there since. He has the wheels to follow Shane Barrett, as he did in the league final after some reshuffling. Some smart hand-offs would be required so the Kilruane MacDonaghs man can cover the space in behind when called upon.
That would leave Bryan O’Mara on Diarmuid Healy or Séamus Harnedy. He previously marked Healy in the league and took Dalton in the championship.
Leaving aside the league game in Thurles, the last time Tipp out-goaled Cork in a major match was the 2020 Covid qualifier. Since then, the ledger reads 19 green flags to six.
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Tipp’s scramble defence has improved immeasurably, but it will be thoroughly stress-tested by Cork.
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How the midfield will shape up
Cork's Darragh Fitzgibbon attempts to escape the tackle of Tipperary's Sam O'Farrell. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Uniquely, Liam Cahill has not started the same midfield pairing for any two games.
It was Morgan and Willie Connors in the league final, Morgan and Sam O’Farrell for Limerick, Morgan and Alan Tynan for Cork, O’Farrell and Tynan for Clare, O’Farrell and Connors for Waterford, Connors and Joe Caesar for Laois, Connors and Peter McGarry for Galway, and Connors and Conor Stakelum for Kilkenny. Surely he will stick, rather than twist again.
Cork’s midfielders, Darragh Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony, have bagged three goals each against Tipp in recent years, while Ethan Twomey notched one in the league final. It has been an area of significant struggle for Tipp in these games.
Willie Connors will likely be backed to go on Fitzgibbon watch, while lending a hand to his defence. Having scored three early points from three shots against Kilkenny, Stakelum will hope to tie up O’Mahony and outshoot him at the other end. That’s a big ask, all the same.
*****
How the Cork defence will tackle Tipperary’s forwards
Tipperary vice-captain Jake Morris and Niall O'Leary of Cork contest a high ball. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Pat Ryan has a stronger base to trade off, given how Cork shut out Tipp in the league final and in Munster against 14 men.
Jake Morris is the man who may force a defensive switch. The vice-captain has a strong record against the Leesiders. Back in 2018, he scored the equalising point with his first touch in championship hurling, and he slotted the clinching goal in their 2020 qualifier. He has never left with less than 0-3 in their last six meetings, despite Tipp’s run of defeats.
Ryan could choose to switch Ciarán Joyce across to the roving wing-forward, with Mark Coleman moving onto O’Farrell.
Tipp got joy with long balls down the middle in their February league success, but Robert Downey has plugged that channel. Still, Andrew Ormond has two man-of-the-match awards in his five outings and will pose some headaches over when to push up and when to drop off.
Inside, the pairings look set. Eoin Downey held John McGrath scoreless in Munster, but coughed up a handful of frees. He will take those before letting the Loughmore stalwart get a sight of goal.
Seán O’Donoghue kept Darragh McCarthy quiet from play in the league final before the Toomevara teenager’s red card ended their Munster match-up before it’d even started.
Jason Forde arrowed over 0-15, including three from play, for 14-man Tipp against Niall O’Leary that day. The Castlelyons defender will hope to restrain the form which has Forde as Tipp’s leading contender for Hurler of the Year.
The Premier lost 16 of the 28 deliveries into their attack against Kilkenny, but turned those scraps into 3-5 and a couple more goal chances.
Given how Tipp rattled the net within 40 seconds of the throw-in in 2022 and ‘24 through Morris and Mark Kehoe, Cork will be tuned in from the start and intent to suffocate any Blue and Gold momentum.
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Cork v Tipp match-ups: How the teams will shape up for All-Ireland final
How the Tipperary defence will tackle Cork’s forwards
Liam Cahill faces an interesting mix of options which have been tested in previous encounters but are yet to click as a unit against the direct-running Rebels. What could they change?
Brian Hayes is the first man to stop with 10 goals and 10 more assists to his name this year. Michael Breen and Eoghan Connolly tagged the Hurler of the Year front-runner in the league and Munster defeats. Could it be the turn of Ronan Maher?
The Premier captain has shackled the opposition’s main aerial threat in recent outings to good effect. As a puck-out target who loiters around the D, those are the same spaces Maher likes to frequent.
If Cahill did free up Connolly, he could go out to wing-back and roam forward when Declan Dalton drops deep. With 0-3 against Kilkenny, his long-range striking would counter Dalton’s similar toolkit.
Alan Connolly has six goals from four starts against Tipp, yet Robert Doyle coped well on him in Munster. That match-up is likely to remain, which could leave Michael Breen on Patrick Horgan in another repeat pairing.
Craig Morgan was switched to the half-back line in both Leeside defeats and has remained there since. He has the wheels to follow Shane Barrett, as he did in the league final after some reshuffling. Some smart hand-offs would be required so the Kilruane MacDonaghs man can cover the space in behind when called upon.
That would leave Bryan O’Mara on Diarmuid Healy or Séamus Harnedy. He previously marked Healy in the league and took Dalton in the championship.
Leaving aside the league game in Thurles, the last time Tipp out-goaled Cork in a major match was the 2020 Covid qualifier. Since then, the ledger reads 19 green flags to six.
Tipp’s scramble defence has improved immeasurably, but it will be thoroughly stress-tested by Cork.
*****
How the midfield will shape up
Uniquely, Liam Cahill has not started the same midfield pairing for any two games.
It was Morgan and Willie Connors in the league final, Morgan and Sam O’Farrell for Limerick, Morgan and Alan Tynan for Cork, O’Farrell and Tynan for Clare, O’Farrell and Connors for Waterford, Connors and Joe Caesar for Laois, Connors and Peter McGarry for Galway, and Connors and Conor Stakelum for Kilkenny. Surely he will stick, rather than twist again.
Cork’s midfielders, Darragh Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony, have bagged three goals each against Tipp in recent years, while Ethan Twomey notched one in the league final. It has been an area of significant struggle for Tipp in these games.
Willie Connors will likely be backed to go on Fitzgibbon watch, while lending a hand to his defence. Having scored three early points from three shots against Kilkenny, Stakelum will hope to tie up O’Mahony and outshoot him at the other end. That’s a big ask, all the same.
*****
How the Cork defence will tackle Tipperary’s forwards
Pat Ryan has a stronger base to trade off, given how Cork shut out Tipp in the league final and in Munster against 14 men.
Jake Morris is the man who may force a defensive switch. The vice-captain has a strong record against the Leesiders. Back in 2018, he scored the equalising point with his first touch in championship hurling, and he slotted the clinching goal in their 2020 qualifier. He has never left with less than 0-3 in their last six meetings, despite Tipp’s run of defeats.
Ryan could choose to switch Ciarán Joyce across to the roving wing-forward, with Mark Coleman moving onto O’Farrell.
Tipp got joy with long balls down the middle in their February league success, but Robert Downey has plugged that channel. Still, Andrew Ormond has two man-of-the-match awards in his five outings and will pose some headaches over when to push up and when to drop off.
Inside, the pairings look set. Eoin Downey held John McGrath scoreless in Munster, but coughed up a handful of frees. He will take those before letting the Loughmore stalwart get a sight of goal.
Seán O’Donoghue kept Darragh McCarthy quiet from play in the league final before the Toomevara teenager’s red card ended their Munster match-up before it’d even started.
Jason Forde arrowed over 0-15, including three from play, for 14-man Tipp against Niall O’Leary that day. The Castlelyons defender will hope to restrain the form which has Forde as Tipp’s leading contender for Hurler of the Year.
The Premier lost 16 of the 28 deliveries into their attack against Kilkenny, but turned those scraps into 3-5 and a couple more goal chances.
Given how Tipp rattled the net within 40 seconds of the throw-in in 2022 and ‘24 through Morris and Mark Kehoe, Cork will be tuned in from the start and intent to suffocate any Blue and Gold momentum.
*****
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All-Ireland SHC Final Cork GAA Hurling Tipperary GAA