THE POST-MATCH emotions were conflicting for Pat Ryan and Liam Cahill on Sunday afternoon.
One was trying to keep a lid on any hysteria breaking out after Cork’s first league title in 27 years, the other attempting to react calmly to the emphatic defeat that Tipperary suffered.
Neither will want the fallout from the game to seep into the bloodstream of their squad. The close of the league is too tight up against the commencement of the championship to be dwelled upon.
So 12 days out from Easter Sunday, how will the two camps approach the time between now and their Munster openers?
***
Cork
Pat Ryan got right to it in his summation after the league final. The hurling that was freshest in his mind — a second-half where Cork were sloppy in phases — was what he focused on.
“That’s probably the worst half of hurling that the lads have delivered since my time here.
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“In fairness, it’ll definitely keep the hype down anyway and we’ll be going up to Ennis very much going into the lion’s den with the All-Ireland champions.”
The logic behind Ryan’s declaration was understandable. The red wave that had invaded the Páirc Uí Chaoimh pitch after a game which had the sellout sign up at the door beforehand was proof of a level of support for his Cork team that shows no sign of abating.
Full houses are set to be present for Cork’s four Munster round-robin fixtures, further evidence of the heightened interest surrounding the team. After losing last year’s All-Ireland final by a point, Cork have bounced back by ending their 27-year wait for league honours. Controlling the escalating hype is Ryan’s natural focus when it comes to the ambition of ending the 20-year wait for the other national trophy.
His players appeared on message – Darragh Fitzgibbon on TV, Patrick Horgan on local radio, captain Robert Downey from the South Stand podium – when it came to downplaying the success. As positive a step as this league final triumph was, Cork have lost the four championship meetings against Clare that they played between 2022 and 2024.
The aggregate margin of defeat was only six points, yet it illustrates the pattern of Clare having the edge when it matters most in those tight tussles. Renewing acquaintances, particularly in their Ennis backyard, presents Cork with a serious opening examination, regardless of the joy they experienced there a month ago as they fired home six goals.
The Cork analysis team may use the second half on Sunday as a stick to beat players with in the quest for improvement, but equally they’ll be pushing to maintain the standards that came before it. By half time on Sunday, Cork had scored 13 goals in their previous two-and-a-half games.
Their attacking play has been devastating at times, yet the defensive improvements have also been striking. Cork conceded six goals in their two meetings with Clare last year, for instance; by comparison, three clean sheets in their last three games is indicative of their strategic goal to tighten up at the back.
Ethan Twomey of Cork celebrates his goal. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
Selection decisions mount up in a panel that now has greater depth. Ryan stressed the need for Cork to get back on the training ground and revealed they have a behind closed doors challenge game tomorrow night against Laois to get gametime into the legs of squad members. Cormac O’Brien, Ethan Twomey, and Diarmuid Healy have provided selection headaches with their form. Will Ryan stick with the same combination or bring back experienced operators Mark Coleman, Seamus Harnedy, and Declan Dalton? The positioning of Darragh Fitzgibbon at centre-forward has enabled him to thrive.
Cork went hard after the league, simply because they had the greatest need to succeed and get some silverware on the board. They’ll hope it’s a springboard for a breakthrough like it was for Galway in 2017 and Clare in 2024, while being mindful their previous league final qualification in 2022 was the tee-up for a summer where they lost their first two games in Munster, scraped through in third place, and bowed out at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage.
Easter Sunday in Ennis always had a pulsating showdown feel to it. Cork’s league win increases that.
***
Tipperary
The biggest test facing Tipperary is how they absorb this setback. Given the emerging players in their team and the repositioning of other individuals, they have been in a state of development this spring. A series of encouraging results enabled them to top Division 1A and brought them to a final where they needed a competitive showing and a result that would not prove scarring.
There was a battling nature to their second-half showing and a solidity to their first quarter, but the game changed dramatically before the break. They were beaten down as Cork outscored them 3-8 to 0-4 in that period, ending the game as a contest. It was the exact type of phase that Tipperary needed to avoid: a powerful scoring burst from opposition that inflicts immediate pain and creates doubts for the future.
Pat Ryan and Liam Cahill after Sunday's game. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The Munster round-robin schedule always had a forbidding look to it for Tipperary. Hosting Limerick and travelling to Cork in the space of seven days is as demanding a start as they could get. Factor in their Round 3 fixture against Clare on 10 May, and Tipperary must contend with facing the reigning Munster, League and All-Ireland champions in the space of 20 days.
It is an unforgiving programme of games and for Cahill, the emphasis must be on trying to remind his players of the earlier good work in 2025 rather than have their outlook crowded by the problems they encountered against Cork. Easing any angst in their minds is as important now as the physical recovery from Sunday’s exertions.
The match did highlight the issue of mobility and pace in parts of the Tipperary team, areas that are difficult to correct in a short space of time. They withdrew half of their starting forward line by the 45th minute, while ball retention off Barry Hogan’s puckout was low during that opening half.
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Jake Morris of Tipperary in action against Cork's Niall O'Leary. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
Selection issues will crop up before they face Limerick. Will Ronan Maher be moved behind to protect the full-back zone? With their bright showings off the bench, have Darragh Stakelum and Sean Kenneally forced their way into the starting reckoning? Is Jake Morris a more useful weapon for the attacking unit at number 11?
Tipperary are due to play Clare next Wednesday 16 April at U20 level, but senior commitments may now be prioritised for the double-jobbing Sam O’Farrell and Darragh McCarthy.
After featuring at the semi-final stage of the league last year, Tipperary’s form unravelled badly in Munster. Avoiding a repeat is their primary objective now.
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Hype, setback, selections: how will Cork and Tipp approach the next two weeks?
THE POST-MATCH emotions were conflicting for Pat Ryan and Liam Cahill on Sunday afternoon.
One was trying to keep a lid on any hysteria breaking out after Cork’s first league title in 27 years, the other attempting to react calmly to the emphatic defeat that Tipperary suffered.
Neither will want the fallout from the game to seep into the bloodstream of their squad. The close of the league is too tight up against the commencement of the championship to be dwelled upon.
So 12 days out from Easter Sunday, how will the two camps approach the time between now and their Munster openers?
***
Cork
Pat Ryan got right to it in his summation after the league final. The hurling that was freshest in his mind — a second-half where Cork were sloppy in phases — was what he focused on.
“That’s probably the worst half of hurling that the lads have delivered since my time here.
“In fairness, it’ll definitely keep the hype down anyway and we’ll be going up to Ennis very much going into the lion’s den with the All-Ireland champions.”
The logic behind Ryan’s declaration was understandable. The red wave that had invaded the Páirc Uí Chaoimh pitch after a game which had the sellout sign up at the door beforehand was proof of a level of support for his Cork team that shows no sign of abating.
Full houses are set to be present for Cork’s four Munster round-robin fixtures, further evidence of the heightened interest surrounding the team. After losing last year’s All-Ireland final by a point, Cork have bounced back by ending their 27-year wait for league honours. Controlling the escalating hype is Ryan’s natural focus when it comes to the ambition of ending the 20-year wait for the other national trophy.
His players appeared on message – Darragh Fitzgibbon on TV, Patrick Horgan on local radio, captain Robert Downey from the South Stand podium – when it came to downplaying the success. As positive a step as this league final triumph was, Cork have lost the four championship meetings against Clare that they played between 2022 and 2024.
The aggregate margin of defeat was only six points, yet it illustrates the pattern of Clare having the edge when it matters most in those tight tussles. Renewing acquaintances, particularly in their Ennis backyard, presents Cork with a serious opening examination, regardless of the joy they experienced there a month ago as they fired home six goals.
The Cork analysis team may use the second half on Sunday as a stick to beat players with in the quest for improvement, but equally they’ll be pushing to maintain the standards that came before it. By half time on Sunday, Cork had scored 13 goals in their previous two-and-a-half games.
Their attacking play has been devastating at times, yet the defensive improvements have also been striking. Cork conceded six goals in their two meetings with Clare last year, for instance; by comparison, three clean sheets in their last three games is indicative of their strategic goal to tighten up at the back.
Selection decisions mount up in a panel that now has greater depth. Ryan stressed the need for Cork to get back on the training ground and revealed they have a behind closed doors challenge game tomorrow night against Laois to get gametime into the legs of squad members. Cormac O’Brien, Ethan Twomey, and Diarmuid Healy have provided selection headaches with their form. Will Ryan stick with the same combination or bring back experienced operators Mark Coleman, Seamus Harnedy, and Declan Dalton? The positioning of Darragh Fitzgibbon at centre-forward has enabled him to thrive.
Cork went hard after the league, simply because they had the greatest need to succeed and get some silverware on the board. They’ll hope it’s a springboard for a breakthrough like it was for Galway in 2017 and Clare in 2024, while being mindful their previous league final qualification in 2022 was the tee-up for a summer where they lost their first two games in Munster, scraped through in third place, and bowed out at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage.
Easter Sunday in Ennis always had a pulsating showdown feel to it. Cork’s league win increases that.
***
Tipperary
The biggest test facing Tipperary is how they absorb this setback. Given the emerging players in their team and the repositioning of other individuals, they have been in a state of development this spring. A series of encouraging results enabled them to top Division 1A and brought them to a final where they needed a competitive showing and a result that would not prove scarring.
There was a battling nature to their second-half showing and a solidity to their first quarter, but the game changed dramatically before the break. They were beaten down as Cork outscored them 3-8 to 0-4 in that period, ending the game as a contest. It was the exact type of phase that Tipperary needed to avoid: a powerful scoring burst from opposition that inflicts immediate pain and creates doubts for the future.
The Munster round-robin schedule always had a forbidding look to it for Tipperary. Hosting Limerick and travelling to Cork in the space of seven days is as demanding a start as they could get. Factor in their Round 3 fixture against Clare on 10 May, and Tipperary must contend with facing the reigning Munster, League and All-Ireland champions in the space of 20 days.
It is an unforgiving programme of games and for Cahill, the emphasis must be on trying to remind his players of the earlier good work in 2025 rather than have their outlook crowded by the problems they encountered against Cork. Easing any angst in their minds is as important now as the physical recovery from Sunday’s exertions.
The match did highlight the issue of mobility and pace in parts of the Tipperary team, areas that are difficult to correct in a short space of time. They withdrew half of their starting forward line by the 45th minute, while ball retention off Barry Hogan’s puckout was low during that opening half.
Selection issues will crop up before they face Limerick. Will Ronan Maher be moved behind to protect the full-back zone? With their bright showings off the bench, have Darragh Stakelum and Sean Kenneally forced their way into the starting reckoning? Is Jake Morris a more useful weapon for the attacking unit at number 11?
Tipperary are due to play Clare next Wednesday 16 April at U20 level, but senior commitments may now be prioritised for the double-jobbing Sam O’Farrell and Darragh McCarthy.
After featuring at the semi-final stage of the league last year, Tipperary’s form unravelled badly in Munster. Avoiding a repeat is their primary objective now.
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