PLAY-OFF AWAITS JOHN’S REBELS

ALLIANZ NFL DIV 1B

1A: Tipperary Cork Tomorrow, Thurles, 2.30pm

v HAVING been dominated in this fixture for most of the last decade, Cork turned it on its head last year with a stirring win in the Munster quarter-final which set them on their way to provincial glory.

However, their ability to pull off that victory was surely informed to some degree by a victory over Tipperary in the final round of the League before the knockout stages when they beat the then All-ireland champions at Pairc Ui Rinn, with Patrick Horgan (above) hitting 0-15. It was sloppy from Tipp and betrayed a lack of ruthlessness as they missed an opportunity to keep suppressed opposition under their thumb.

They paid the price a couple of months later. This year Cork appear to have a take-it-orleave it approach to the League under new manager John Meyler with the bulkier Champ-ionship format, which includes another trip to Thurles on May 27, in mind and Tipp look set to turn the tables for now and consign them to a relegation play-off.