THE DEFINING FEATURE of the recent Cork-Tipperary football rivalry has been the wafer-thin margins separating the teams at the final whistle.
Aidan Walsh dug Cork out of a hole as they won by two points in 2014, Kevin O’Halloran nailed a pair of late dead balls so Tipperary had a brace to spare in 2016 and Luke Connolly’s late goal saw Cork over the line by a point last June.
It was felt Saturday’s Munster semi-final would follow a similar pattern. Chances are if an emphatic victory was to occur, plenty observers would have felt beforehand that Tipperary were better placed to deliver that such was the optimism enveloping their prospects and the simultaneous gloomy outlook being forecast for Cork.
An 11-point win for Ronan McCarthy’s side felt like an outcome from a different era in the football relationship between these counties. Cork have not won a match as convincingly in a while. Tipperary have not been as soundly beaten in a while.
For a large chunk of the first half it was as tight and tense on the scoreboard as expected. It would prove crucial that Cork kept it that way, Mark White repelling goalbound efforts from Michael Quinlivan and Liam Casey. By the final whistle Cork could reflect on a clean sheet, a critical statistic considering who they were facing.
Goals are the calling card of this Tipperary team, usually registered by their fearsome inside duo of Quinlivan and Conor Sweeney. Saturday was the 33rd game between league and championship that Liam Kearns has presided over for Tipperary and only the fifth time – Mayo 2016 All-Ireland semi-final, Louth 2017 league, Clare 2018 league and Waterford 2018 Munster SFC being the others – that they did not raise a green flag.
Cork have suffered plenty against Tipperary goal rushes. They leaked three in that seismic 2016 Munster loss and another three at the end of January when the teams clashed in the league. Tightening up their rearguard was a key target and while White’s contribution in goal was impressive, it was their overall defensive approach that showed a marked improvement.
Tipperary have been adept at slicing Cork’s defence apart with runners from deep. But Cork’s organisation at the back was notably enhanced. They got Stephen Cronin free as a spare defender at the D as he profited from the retreating work of forwards like Ruairi Deane, Kevin O’Driscoll and John O’Rourke. Cronin compensates for his small stature with his ball-playing skills and reading of the game.
He illustrated Cork’s ability to soak up Tipperary attacking pressure and their high aggression in the tackle was noticeable. Previously Tipperary have had freedom up front to wreak havoc against Cork but those channels of space were shut down to them on Saturday. The opening 20-25 minutes provided signals of the damage Tipperary could cause but Quinlivan was their primary threat as Sweeney was well-marshalled and Cork’s authority at the back became more pronounced as the game went on.
Aside from the lack of goals conceded, the sheer reduction in scores leaked by Cork was also significant. Over the past four seasons, Cork have lost eight championship games and seen their conquerors raise an average of 20 white flags in those outing. Only conceding 0-9 on Saturday night was significant but it was the sense of planning, organisation and familiarity with each other’s style of play – areas that Cork have been criticised for – which was at the heart of the control they were able to exert. The impact of Mark White, a minor two summers ago, between the posts was also striking for Cork with his composure and consistency from kickouts.
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Six of the Cork team that started in last July’s defeat against Mayo were on the field before throw-in on Saturday with six of the subs used in that extra-time loss in the Gaelic Grounds also picked in the starting fifteen. Ruairi Deane and Luke Connolly were both sprung from the bench in that 2017 qualifier loss but they were the contestants for the MVP award on Saturday.
Deane assumed the responsibility as a hard runner and ball carrier from deep with Connolly seamlessly transferring his club form as a prolific scorer to the inter-county stage. There were other attacking pluses in getting Brian Hurley back on the pitch after his injury nightmare and getting the news today that Colm O’Neill is not set for a fresh injury nightmare. In terms of selection and strategy it was a really good championship opener for Ronan McCarthy and his brains trust.
For all the positive vibes emanating from Cork, there has been a trend of strong championship displays standing in isolation. In reflection the displays against Mayo in 2014 and 2017, and the draw with Kerry in 2015 stood out in those seasons with the heights Cork scaled. Saturday gives them a great platform for the summer as they are now assured of a spot in the last 12 and one win away from the coveted spot in the Super 8s.
But having laid the foundations, they need to erect the building blocks to demonstrate that a team in transition is starting to establish themselves. There have been false dawns before and whatever about the scoreboard outcome in the Munster final, maintaining this performance level is something McCarthy will target.
Just like we cannot compose a total judgement on Cork after one victory, we cannot condemn Tipperary on the basis of a single defeat. Their team has developed a great chemistry over the course of a few campaigns on the road but there were moments on Saturday when they looked out of sync – a crossfield pass by Josh Keane in the second half that went over the sideline, a few possessions slipping from the grasp of Conor Sweeney in uncharacteristic fashion and a couple of good point chances after the break spurned by Bill Maher and Jack Kennedy.
There was clear strides made in the league as they were on the cusp of gaining promotion to the top tier on the last day. They would have been eager to atone for getting mugged late on by Cork last June and carried a rightful sense of grievance over the Munster fixture logjam they were placed in. But the six-day turnover could not completely explain their shortcomings and their camp didn’t lean on that as a handy crutch afterwards either.
Against Derry in 2016 and Cavan in 2017, Tipperary have shown their capacity in the qualifiers to retrieve a season. They’ll need to draw on those recovery qualities again. They will hope for to be draw helpful and leave them based in Thurles rather than face a tough trek.
At the outset of the year, Tipperary and Cork were two counties that could get enormous benefits from featuring in the Super 8s. It’s still a realistic aim for both but now just looks more circuitous for Tipperary to reach and more straightforward for Cork to reach.
They’ll both be intent on proving Saturday will not define their 2018 narrative. Their reactions will be worth tracking
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