It’s the Premier County vs their old rivals Cork, but not as we know it.
The sides meet in Limerick, with throw-in at 4pm, on a wet November afternoon, rather than the usual sunshine of Liberty Square or the Marina.
But the stakes are as high as ever with the curtain falling on the championship for the losers.
So, how do you see this one going?
It’s all over in Portlaoise and Clare have beaten Davy Fitzgerald’s Wexford on a scoreline of 1-21 to 0-17, with Tony Kelly imperious.
Will Cork bring the fire today?
From Kevin O’Brien’s weekend tee-up: “Kieran Kingston beefed up his forward line with the introductions of Robbie O’Flynn and Declan Dalton against Dublin which saw the Rebels rediscover some of the form that deserted them against Waterford in the Munster semi-final.
Their convincing win over Dublin was a step in the right direction but they’ll need to raise their performances levels up another gear to beat a Tipp side still smarting from their convincing loss to Limerick.
Cork possess quality all over the field and certainly have the firepower to hurt Tipperary, but keeping the Premier forwards at bay will require savage work-rate in the middle third.
If the likes of Seamus Callanan and John McGrath get a good supply of ball they’re hard stopped, so Cork’s priority should like in making midfield a war zone.”
Liam Sheedy speaking to Sky: “Today is trying to find our level, if we find our level we’ll give ourselves a fair chance.”
Jamesie O’Connor, JJ Delaney and Ollie Canning all go for Tipp as narrow winners this afternoon.
The conditions look absolutely brutal once again so this will be a real battle first and foremost, you’d imagine. Tipp have won the toss and opt to play with the wind.
As we prepare for throw in, here are your teams:
TIPPERARY: Brian Hogan; Cathal Barrett, Ronan Maher, Alan Flynn; Niall O’Meara, Brendan Maher, Padraic Maher; Noel McGrath, Michael Breen; Dan McCormack, John McGrath, Patrick Maher; Jason Forde, Seamus Callanan, Jake Morris.
Here we go!
Tipperary 0-1 Cork 0-0 Seamus Callanan is held by Damian Cahalane and Tipp are awarded the first free of the day. Jason Forde converts.
Tipperary 0-2 Cork 0-0 Jason Forde nails another free from inside his own half.
Robbie O’Flynn turns on the afterburners for the first time and is pulled back. Patrick Horgan gets his first sight of the posts but he drags the free, into a gale, wide.
Tipperary 0-2 Cork 0-0 Michael Breen with a bad wide for Tipp and now Mark Coleman is down injured. Almost eight minutes gone.
Tipperary 0-2 Cork 0-1 The Rebels are off the mark after nine minutes thanks to Declan Dalton. Good work from Pa Horgan earlier.
Tipperary 0-3 Cork 0-1 Jason Forde puts another free over, John McGrath with a wide moments later.
Nickey English tells us that Kieran Kingston and Diarmuid O’Sullivan are evidently happy with the workrate of their charges so far.
Tipperary 0-5 Cork 0-1 Michael Breen with a massive point — the best of the day so far — from out by the sideline. Cork’s puckout is under pressure, given the conditions.
Jason Forde adds another pointed free, as I write. Soft.
Tipperary 0-5 Cork 0-2 Luke Meade is hit late and in the chest and Patrick Horgan sends over a great free, into the wind, that sneaks over.
Cathal Barrett is booked for some carry-on inside.
Water-break. Tipp in control but there’s just a score in it in desperate weather.
Excellent score from along the sideline by Michael Breen for @TipperaryGAA pic.twitter.com/CmvftshWj0
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 14, 2020
Big roar from Liam Sheedy and the Tipp line as Damian Cahalane is shouldered over the line by Michael Breen. Cork had been trying to work the ball up the field.
GOAL! Patrick Horgan scores for Cork!
Tipperary 0-5 Cork 1-2 Superb stuff from the Glen Rovers man to level it up.
Horgan intercepted the ball after a bit of a scrum in the middle of the park, he sprinted goalwards and buried it himself. 23 minutes on the clock now.
Tipperary 0-5 Cork 1-3 Cork take the lead for the first time with a Horgan free. Almost 10 minutes since Tipp scored, we’re told.
Tipperary 0-6 Cork 1-3 We’re all square again as Michael Breen lofts another big one over the bar.
Here’s that Horgan goal.
Luke Meade is booked and Tipp add another wide to their tally. Almost at the half-hour mark now.
Tipperary 0-6 Cork 1-4 Tim O’Mahony points after lovely play from Bill Cooper and Cork to work the angle.
Tipperary 0-7 Cork 1-4 Jason Forde scores his first from open play to level it up again.
Tipperary 0-8 Cork 1-4 Ronan Maher has a pop from way out but it flies wide. Tipp may live to regret this first-half profligacy. As I type though, Dan McCormack scores and puts the All-Ireland champions ahead.
Two minutes of added time.
HALF-TIME: Tipperary 0-9 Cork 1-4
Jason Forde with another point and Tipp go in two points up at the break. That lead ‘is no way near enough’ Nickey English says as the sides head in.
What did you make of that?
Right, the teams are back out and we’re almost ready to throw in. This will be hectic.
Tipperary 0-10 Cork 1-5 Great point from Shane Kingston who drives forward and taps over but sub Willie Connors replies with a very good effort himself.
Fairly baffling decision from James Owen as Robert Downey is — I would say — fouled, but the free goes the other way. The ref’s been good today otherwise I think.
Tipperary 0-11 Cork 1-6 Michael Breen again points for Tipp, Seamus Harnedy replies with his first of the day.
Tipperary 0-11 Cork 1-7 Deccie Dalton breaks through without a hurley and is fouled as he soccer-styles it goalwards. Horgan converts the free.
The rain has stopped and the wind has died down a bit, we’re told.
GOAL! Jason Forde scores for Tipperary
Tipperary 1-12 Cork 1-7 Forde does brilliantly to carve out the opportunity and then find the net. Seamus Callanan then points for the first time this championship and the Premier are driving on all of a sudden.
44 minutes on the cl0ock and five points in it.
Tipperary 1-12 Cork 1-8 Massive free from Horgan again and the Rebels needed it.
Tipperary 1-12 Cork 1-9 Patrick Horgan scores again and, in the meantime, two of his clubmates swap roles; Robert Downey is replaced by Stephen McDonnell, who’ll go in full back.
Tipperary 1-13 Cork 1-10 Seamus Callanan with another good point and he’s causing plenty of problems now. Declan Dalton is off with an injury, it seems, and Darragh Fitzgibbon makes his first appearance of the championship.
Harnedy scores, as I type.
20 minutes to go and there’s a puck of a ball in this.
Tipperary 1-13 Cork 1-11 Seamus Harnedy stretches his legs and puts the ball over again for the last point before the water break.
Tipperary 1-14 Cork 1-12 Harnedy with another point but Michael Breen replies immediately. Paul Flynn on for Patrick Maher.
Tipperary 1-14 Cork 1-13 Darragh Fitzgibbon is fouled as he heads for goal and Patrick Horgan does what he does with the free. One-point game.
Cork’s Jack O’Connor booked for a bit of a high challenge. Into the 58th minute now.
Tipperary 1-14 Cork 1-14 We’re level.
Robbie O’Flynn puts Cork on terms with Tipp. Big one.
Tipperary 1-14 Cork 1-15 Cork go ahead with a Pa Horgan 65. Noel McGrath is replaced by Paddy Caddell. Conor Lehane is on for O’Connor.
10 minutes to go.
Tipperary 1-15 Cork 1-15 Dan McCormack with a great point for Tipp to level it again. Robbie O’Flynn had a wide for the Rebels moments earlier.
Tipperary 1-16 Cork 1-15 Paul Flynn opens his account with an impressive effort.
Tipperary 1-16 Cork 1-16 Seamus Harnedy battles to win a free in the middle of the park. Patrick Horgan manages to drop it over, under pressure.
This is tense stuff.
Tipperary 1-17 Cork 1-16 Fantastic stuff from Michael Breen. He catches, holds off two defenders and shoots over the bar. He’s been excellent.
Darragh Fitzgibbon wide with a couple of minutes of normal time to go. A point in it.
GOAL for Tipperary! Jake Morris scores
Tipperary 2-17 Cork 1-16 Is that the ball game? A brilliant goal from Morris at the death seems to have sealed it.
We’ll have three minutes of added time.
Tipperary 2-18 Cork 1-17 Paul Flynn adds to his tally, since being introduced. Cork need a miracle, Nickey English says correctly, as Bill Cooper points.
Seconds left.
FULL TIME: Tipperary 2-18 Cork 1-17
The All-Ireland champions march on after a massive battle.
Tipp’s full back line absolutely mopped up everything for the last 10 minutes or so.
Cork ran out of steam a little and perhaps their third week on the trot was one too many.
What did you make of that?
Michael Breen wins man of the match. Well deserved.
Right, thanks for joining us. Tipp are in the pot for a quarter-final next weekend while the post mortem will begin on Leeside once again.
