Five things we learned...

Defensive Kerry overstated

Liam Kearns suggested after the game on Sunday that Kerry played with everybody behind the ball and, strictly speaking, that’s true. From the moment Tipperary started nearly all their attacks Kerry had fifteen men behind the ball.

That’s a very surface level reading of it, however. It sort of suggests that Kerry had an ultra defensive system in place and that’s not necessarily the case. It was more a factor of Tipperary’s short kick-out strategy. It ensured that the Premier were star ting their attacks from their own full-back or half line.

Under those circumstances yes, indeed, all Kerry players are going to be behind the ball – how could they not be? In fact Kerry played quite a high line in the game and pressured Tipp into a lot turn-overs inside their own for ty. That’s aggressive and smar t, not evidence of a defensive mindset.

Kerry get easier side of the draw

Another soft one for Kerry? It’s a taunt thrown at Kerry in jest – we hope it’s in jest anyway – after every All Ireland victory, but could it apply to the draw they’ve received for the All Ireland quar ter-final?

It certainly appears as though Kerry are on the easier side of the draw – they’re due to play the winners of the A side of the qualifier draw, which just so happens is the weaker side of the draw.

Kerry could play any of Carlow, Derry, Laois, Cavan, Clare, Meath, Sligo, Roscommon or Galway. What you’ll notice is, bar Roscommon, the lack of Division 1 opposition. A few of those counties could cause Kerry trouble – Cavan especially – but compared to the other side of the draw it’s easy street.

Tipp haven’t progressed (yet)

What everybody thought and feared of and for Tipperary before the Cork game was, actually, fairly accurate in hindsight. The victory over what must have been a poor Cork side, masked the troubles they’ve been experiencing.

Their league campaign – and even their victory over Waterford – suggested they were struggling to cope with the loss of some very important players over the winter months. Sunday’s performance in Killarney confirmed as much.

Tipperary weren’t nearly as good as they were in the 2015 Munster championship semi-final in Thurles. Having said that they are a young side with genuine potential and a proven coach. Their Munster final experience will stand to them as will a final round qualifier tie. They might even be in with a shot of winning it under the right circumstances.

O’Donoghue is ready to rock and roll

It’s our contention that James O’Donoghue – and Anthony Maher for that matter – should have star ted last Sunday’s final. To our eyes it was a glorious oppor tunity to give the guy badly needed game time ahead of the big stuff down the line.

If Kerry are to compete with and beat Dublin then they’ll need O’Donoghue firing on all cylinders. The best way to ensure he is, is to play him as much as possible. In his fifteen minute cameo he looked hungry and sharp. Whatever about form in training – which management swear by – he is a special case.

Killarney needs a new scoreboard badly

At one stage yesterday afternoon – and this is no word of a lie – Kerry led Tipperary by 3-77 to 2-10... on the scoreboard at the town end of Fitzgerald Stadium. A similar malfunction occurred in the cur tain-raiser.

Okay these things happen and it’s not the end of the world, but it does go to show that for its very many excellent qualities Fitzgerald Stadium needs a better scoreboard. The most glaring thing missing from the ground is a clock to tell the game time. Hopefully they’ll get one before the Rugby World Cup!