Tipperary can exceed Munster SHC expectations by beating Waterford – but they were lucky to beat average Clare team

The Irish Sun

18-05-2025

WITH back-to-back games that should reveal plenty about how the rest of the year will unfold, Munster SHC days do not come much more attractive than this.
The Gaelic Grounds will host the main event as
Limerick
will have a bone to pick with a
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Babs Keating takes a look at a massive day in the Munster hurling championship
Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
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Limerick face Cork in a rematch of the All-Ireland semi-final
Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
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Tipperary also face Waterford
Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
However, the stakes could not be higher at Semple Stadium, where a spot in the All-Ireland stages of the
Championship
is up for grabs.
There is no overstating the importance of this game for both counties. This is must-win territory for Tipperary, whose season could end today if they come away empty-handed.
Coming into the Championship, there were short odds on the top three places in Munster being filled by
Peter
Queally therefore have a huge opportunity to exceed expectations.
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Tipperary will be full of confidence after
health
warning as the All-Ireland champions have been decimated and are a shadow of their former selves.
While Tipp were allowed to build a sizeable lead in the first half in Ennis — and the manner of their performance was certainly unexpected — they also left several handy scores behind them. As for the second 35 minutes, during which they allowed an average Clare team back into the game after being nine points down, it left a lot to be desired. Only for a few stupid errors, Brian Lohan's men would have emerged victorious.
The performance of the Tipperary forwards after the change of ends warranted being marked at no more than three out of ten.
One thing I learned from a very early age is that the perfect team is made up of backs performing like forwards and vice versa.
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It brings me back to the 1964 All-Ireland final win against
Kilkenny
, when my main objective was to ensure that Séamus Cleere did not have any impact on the game.
Tipp did nothing like that against Clare. And even worse, they were frequently guilty of one of the biggest sins in the game as two players were caught going for the same ball. It happened too many times in the second half and there was subsequently nobody there to collect the breaking ball.
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Waterford's form is no better or worse than Tipperary's. They deserve credit for getting the better of a Clare team who were heartened by their second-half showing against Cork.
But the Déise's forwards in particular were a huge disappointment against Limerick. They are far too reliant on Stephen Bennett and Dessie Hutchinson has not brought his brilliant Ballygunner form to the county team for the last couple of years. This would be the perfect time for him to rectify that.
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Waterford have always loved going into enemy territory to play Tipperary. And there is no evidence of Semple Stadium providing any home comforts to Tipp.
These days, the pitches and facilities in the top grounds around the country are in such good shape that the advantage of playing in one's own backyard is often negated.
But Tipperary's recent
record
in Thurles, where they have not won in their last seven Championship outings — a run that stretches back to 2019 — is particularly poor.
Tipp scraping home is my expectation nonetheless. Having said that, it has the look of a game that is sure to produce a nail-biting finale. Once that clash is in the
books
, all eyes will be on the Ennis
Road
.
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Given the close nature of last year's meetings of the two teams, it is no surprise to see the bookies pricing them both at evens to win.
RED WARNING
With two home games to come, Limerick's victory in Waterford left them in a reasonably strong position. But unless they address a number of issues from that game, today will belong to Cork.
Tom Morrissey, Gearóid Hegarty and even Aaron Gillane all squandered easy chances that night in Walsh Park.
David Reidy had no impact on the game at all and he is not justifying his continued inclusion.
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Adam English has been highly touted as a man who will lead Limerick into the
future
. Nevertheless, despite having plenty of opportunities, he has not yet convinced me that he is capable of doing that. The form of Shane O'Brien is far more encouraging.
From a Cork point of view, it has to be a concern that Patrick Horgan's input is still so important when the man is now 37 years of age. The same goes for Séamus Harnedy, who has been on the road for almost as long.
Brian Hayes has been very influential since he emerged and Darragh Fitzgibbon is an outstanding hurler. But when you look at the physique of Limerick backs like Diarmaid Byrnes, Dan Morrissey and Kyle Hayes, the Cork forwards can expect a bruising battle.
We are also seeing a trend of Cork failing to sustain their performance levels into the second half. If that continues, it will cost them dearly.
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You can expect to see red and green in equal measure in the stands and terraces at the sold-out Gaelic Grounds.
And with the
weather
forecast continuing to play ball, this promises to be a very special occasion. And there is every chance that these teams will meet again in a Munster final in 20 days' time.
Perhaps it will even become a trilogy at
Still, I am not prepared to write Kilkenny off as All-Ireland contenders either. They
remain
the best in Leinster by a considerable margin, which I see them proving again this afternoon against
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The Cats are on an upward curve and it will be interesting to see what becomes of their trajectory once they mix it with Munster's finest later in the
summer
.