THIS MUCH WE know in the Munster hurling arena.
Clare are qualified, they can watch on tomorrow with the assurance that on 11 June they face a second successive Munster decider. Waterford are out, a grim scenario that they have nothing at stake tomorrow, this is their fourth time failing to emerge from this round-robin format.
For Tipperary, Limerick and Cork it will be an afternoon of heightened tension on the province’s last day.
Tipperary’s situation appears straightforward, Waterford’s struggles tip the balance of probability towards a home win in Thurles. That would clinch a Munster final place for Tipperary, even if they lose it would need to be by a margin of five points or more, and coupled with a Cork-Limerick draw, to represent the end of their 2023 road.
Which points the spotlight towards Limerick where the champions play Cork. Waterford could do Limerick a favour to ensure a draw may be sufficient, but the likelihood is the dominant force of the past few years need to win. Cork travel in the knowledge that a victory or a draw will prolong their summer.
Two teams willl be hurling in June, one is facing the exit door. Plenty to occupy the minds then of Liam Cahill, John Kiely and Pat Ryan.
*****
Tipperary
A year on and what a transformation for the Tipperary camp. Their Munster run in 2022 was a misery. The last round saw them concede an eye-watering 3-30 against Cork, a game that became such a foregone conclusion that the only ripple of excitement during the second half for the crowd were the updates from the last day of the Premier League season as Man City and Liverpool were dueling for the title. Tipperary finished rooted to the bottom, things weren’t much better for Liam Cahill in his Waterford role at the time as the league champions were pushed out of the reckoning.
But now the Tipperary hurling outlook is brighter. They may have only won one of their three games so far and squandered a winning position against Cork, but it is a group unmistakeably traveling in the right direction. The experienced nucleus of Cathal Barrett, Seamus Kennedy, Dan McCormack and Noel McGrath look rejuvenated. Bryan O’Mara has become the dominant defender everyone expected, Alan Tynan a revelation at midfield and the twin offensive threat of Jake Morris and Mark Kehoe caused Limerick serious headaches last Sunday.
Only once in the three previous round-robin schedules have Tipperary emerged to the All-Ireland series, in their year of ultimate success in 2019. All evidence points to them wrapping up a Munster final spot tomorrow, the first time they would cross paths with Clare in that situation since 2008.
*****
Limerick
So this is new. This Limerick group have experienced plenty since they emerged in a dazzling fashion in 2018. But this is not something they have been accustomed to. They have won every Munster final from 2019 on, yet their five-in-a-row bid will be floored if Tipperary, as seems likely, win tomorrow.
Reaching that decider is not even Limerick’s top priority, staying alive in the 2023 hurling race is task that consumes their focus. By this juncture in 2018, 2019 and 2022, Limerick had nailed down a top three spot in Munster. To repeat that this year they must defeat Cork at home.
The sense of jeopardy is unfamiliar. But recent weeks have served evidence of that gap closing between Limerick and the rest. Waterford were only two points adrift, Clare beat them by one, Tipperary rescued a draw. Across 2020-22, Limerick featured in ten Munster games, winning nine by an average of seven points and drawing the other.
Do we take recent matches as signs of slippage? The loss of a four-time All-Star and defensive colossus in Seán Finn doesn’t help, the drop in form from rarefied heights of Cian Lynch and Gearoid Hegarty has also sparked debate.
And yet their blend of hurling intelligence, precise passing and fearsome power saw Limerick overwhelm opponents. They are still alive and roared on by a sizeable home support, the threat they pose remains high.
*****
Cork
Cork don’t need educating on Limerick’s capacity to pack a punch. The 2018 All-Ireland semi-final was a turning point for both counties, yet the level of suffering was greater at Croke Park for Cork in the 2021 final. The damaging defeats have extended to Munster venues, the 2021 Munster semi-final in Thurles and last year’s group opener in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Cork have struggled to match the level of aggression Limerick bring to the table, mounting a level of resistance is key tomorrow.
Cork can be happy with the displays of spirit that saw them claw back deficits against TIpperary (five points) and Clare (eight points) in the past couple weeks. That was sufficient to grab a draw against Tipperary before being felled by Diarmuid Ryan’s match-winner in Ennis last Sunday. The habit of falling behind, particularly the second quarter fadeouts that leave them chasing games, can’t be maintained.
Pat Ryan’s reaction has been displayed in the team named. Ger Millerick adds a man-marking component to their defence, Tim O’Mahony a forceful presence in the middle third and Shane Kingston is available from throw-in to rifle over points.
After breezing to an opening day win over Waterford, Cork need another positive result on the last day to preserve the county’s perfect round-robin qualification record. In 2019 they rebounded from a chastening defeat to Tipperary to stun Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds. The team make-up has changed since then, yet a repeat of the standards of that day is the requirement for Cork here.
