It’s a bit too early to herald the dawning of a new era
Tipperary were well worth their win but only a fool would write off Kilkenny
MICHAEL RYAN’S assertion, not long after the final whistle heralded last Sunday’s All-Ireland final triumph, that his team will manage their latest success better than in 2010, was very interesting. Later that evening, Séamus Callanan repeated those sentiments on
insisting Tipperary need to think about putting titles back to back.
Tipp have suffered long enough at the hands of Kilkenny. You could see all week the release, that sense of relief. But the celebrations will be long and hard. It’s always difficult to gauge what edge that will take off the champions come next year.
After 2010 I said they’d win three of the next five senior All-Irelands – they didn’t win any. I wouldn’t be making any bold pronouncements now.
At this stage, they deserve to enjoy the moment. To win an All-Ireland playing hurling the way they did must be a brilliant feeling. Much was made historically of the famine between 1971 and 1989 – now Tipperary have five AllIrelands in the past 27 years. They are making a new tradition.
For the lads winning a second All-Ireland, the likes of Michael Cahill, Brendan Maher, Pádraic Maher, Noel McGrath, Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher and Callanan, it brings their career to a different level. Beating Kilkenny again in the final just makes it all the sweeter because of those defeats in between.
Their day was summed up in the performance of Callanan. The level of his form this summer has been out of this world, in another stratosphere. And he is still in his prime.
When I went through the individual player ratings beforehand, I could barely separate the teams. Kilkenny’s ability to win tight games has defined the rivalry in recent years – they had the upper hand so comprehensively it was hard to ignore. Afterwards, John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer said they silenced their doubters – but people doubted for a reason. They deserve all the credit now.
Brian Cody’s Kilkenny were completely out-hurled. The great man has done so much for his county but there is no doubting this was one of his poorer days on the line.
It was hard to believe there was no change in the full-back line made for the whole game. Taking his centre-back Kieran Joyce off around the hour mark then was also hard to credit.
Jackie Tyrrell would certainly have given John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer or John McGrath something to think about from the bench. Shane Prendergast is still a new player and Tipperary wouldn’t have had the same fear of trying to go at him.
It’s hard to understand how Tyrrell didn’t get a look-in all year. Or Jonjo Farrell up front who had scored 2-9 from play already in the Championship. John Power, who hit 1-1 in the 2014 All-Ireland final, might also have made a difference. So comprehensively beaten in so many positions, there seemed to be a sense of bewilderment on the line.
You can’t say anyone from Tipperary played badly. The lads taken off contributed handsomely. You saw the impact Jason Forde had from the bench. Michael Breen’s substitution was clearly tactical, the intention to move Dan McCormack to the middle in order to nullify Conor Fogarty was very well thought out.
And then you had arguably the greatest ever display from a fullforward line in an All-Ireland final. Remarkably, Callanan could have added two or three goals to his nine points from play. O’Dwyer should have passed the ball across instead of shooting at one stage in the second half and one rasping point could easily have dipped under the crossbar just before half-time. Then there was the simple free that went astray. It’s hardly a stretch to say he could easily have finished with 2-12 or 3-12.
Tipp’s on-field maturity was telling. They hit seven wides in the first 20 minutes. Then, it seemed like the penny dropped. Waterford would have kept doing it, just playing the same way, but Tipperary didn’t.
Instead, the supply of ball from two Mahers in the half-back line changed the pattern of the game, allowing the forwards the time and space to click. The striking of Ronan is pure class: with no room, he can send it 80 yards. Pádraic played one ball up the line and Tipperary kept turning the Kilkenny backs by switching the play. The champions’ defence could hardly clear the ball because they were under so much pressure. That applied right to the very end when ‘Bonner’ Maher took a belt on the shin right in the corner chasing down a hard ball.
Manager Ryan deserves huge credit.
To put such a stamp on the team in one year, without losing the flair, the skill or the style, was a real achievement. He seemed to marry the Liam Sheedy days, mixing that steel with all the best elements of Eamon O’Shea’s coaching. To instil that hunger and workrate was key.
I said last Sunday that I thought Cody might go – on the basis that Kilkenny would win the three-in-a-row. He could walk away with his county as champions. Now, he’s in a bit of a crux. He won’t want to leave things like that.
There’s a rebuilding job to be done – and no better person to oversee it.