Throw-in
Semple Stadium, Saturday 26 May, 7pm
Online
Live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News Now App from 6.30pm
Radio
Live and exclusive national commentary on Saturday Sport, RTÉ Radio 1, from Pauric Lodge and Bernard Flynn.
TV
Highlights of the game, along with all the weekend's action, on The Sunday Game, RTÉ 2, from 9.30pm.
Past 5 Championship Meetings
2017: Cork 1-10 Tipperary 1-9 (Munster semi-final)
2016: Tipperary 3-15 Cork 2-16 (Munster semi-final)
2014: Cork 0-16 Tipperary 1-11 (Munster semi-final)
2007: Cork 2-18 Tipperary 0-10 (Munster semi-final)
2002: Cork 1-23 Tipperary 0-7 (Munster final) – Replay
Form Guide
An intriguing championship rivalry has developed between Tipp and Cork in recent seasons. In 2016, the Premier, in what was then a surprising outcome, prevailed by two points in Thurles. Their summer would end with an All-Ireland semi-final appearance.
Last year, the the Rebels gained revenge when at the death a palmed effort from Luke Connolly found the net to settle the game by the bare minimum - a game by the way where the men in red and white only scored one point in the opening half.
Tipperary are fancied by more than a few to reach the Super 8s and to that end get the nod to turn the tables again on Cork in this calendar year. Liam McGrath hit 2-05 as the Blue and Gold won the Division 2 league meeting between the sides on 27 January. That competition saw Tipp in a better light and they were right in the promotion mix up until the penultimate round. A one-point loss to Cavan at the end of March put pay to thoughts of top-flight action in 2019.
Cork, for their part, finished third from bottom, with just three wins from their seven games. Indeed a combination of results in the final two games played - games rescheduled due to snow - could have seen Ronan McCarthy's side inexplicably drop down a tier.
Tipperary's win over Waterford in the quarter-final was expected and the fact that they have to play again this weekend is clearly something that manager Liam Kearns is not happy about.
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"It's a disgrace and we are really, really, really fed up of the treatment we've got from the Munster council," he told RTÉ Sport.
"We are the only team in the country asked to do this six-day turnaround. It just doesn't make any sense at all and it all the advantages to Cork. The integrity of the competition has been compromised."
Player Watch
Michael Quinlivan (Tipperary)
From the Clonmel Commericials club, Quinlivan has been to the fore in Tipp's rise up the footballing ranks. The full-forward is a natural scoregetter, but is equally adept at coming out from goal, taking the pass, running at speed and then delivering an expert finish. Quinlivan's green flag against Cork last January is a case in point.
Great finish from Tipperary's Michael Quinlivan watch it here with GAANOW pic.twitter.com/JQnGzOJ6DK
— The GAA (@officialgaa) January 27, 2018
His exploits on the edge of the square saw him rewarded with an All Star in 2016. He also a Sigerson Cup and Munster club medal to his name.
Ian Maguire (Cork)
The 24-year-old midfielder has been part of the senior squad since 2014. And while Cork's stock may have fallen in recent seasons, the St Finbarr's player never fails to put in the required shift. He is always looking for the ball, looking to beat this man, set up the next move and in general take responsibility.
Aidan Walsh will line up alongside Maguire in midfield against Tipp, a combination that have the ability to dictate matters. They will also be looking for others to do the same.
Manager Watch
Liam Kearns (Tipperary)
After spells managing Laois and Limerick, where he nearly took the latter to Munster glory in 2004, Kearns' arrival as Tipperary boss in the autumn of 2015 brought about an instant dividend. Reaching the last four of the All-Ireland championship in '16, while surprising, was most deserved and the way the Premier dismantled Galway in the quarter-final was one of the highlights of that summer.
2017 saw promotion from Division 3 of the league, though Tipp did not scale similar heights in the championship. This spring saw them narrowly missing on promotion but hopes are high that the side can have another long summer.
I have referenced earlier Kearns' displeasure at having to send his troops out again so soon after the win over Waterford. That side, the Kerry native added that such a decision won't "define" his team as collectively they look to make amends for last year's narrow loss to the Rebels.
Ronan McCarthy (Cork)
It's a first year at the helm for the Douglas clubman and so far the review is mixed as Cork failed to pull up many trees during the league. Championship, however, is where McCarthy will be judged.
A win over Tipp will see the Rebels just 70 minutes away from reaching the Super 8s - getting that far would represent some credit in the bank for McCarthy at the end of his first year.
Looking ahead to the summer campaign, the manager told RTÉ Sport: "The Super Eights sounds great. Three really good games, one at home, one away and one in Croke Park, playing regularly in the middle of the summer, it's everything you'd want to be involved in but that's too far ahead for us really.
"It's the standard answer but the right thing and that it's too far ahead for us to think about. We can only have one focus here and that's on Tipperary. If you win that game it opens up avenues but there's always a danger in this that you start looking too far ahead.
"Even there when people start asking me about the three-year term and building the team and developing and so on, like we've an opportunity this year. Let's see what we can do this year first. This could be our best opportunity that we have."
Teams
Cork: Mark White; Kevin Crowley, Jamie O'Sullivan, Kevin Flahive; Sean White, Stephen Cronin, Tomás Clancy; Aidan Walsh, Ian Maguire; Kevin O'Driscoll, Mark Collins, Ruairi Deane; John O'Rourke, Colm O'Neill, Luke Connolly.
Goalkeeper Mark White and defender Kevin Flahive are both set for their championship debuts, while Colm O'Neill, who scored 1-01 off the bench in the league clash, starts at full-forward.
Tipperary: Evan Comerford; Shane O'Connell, John Meagher, Alan Campbell; Bill Maher, Robbie Kiely (capt), Jimmy Feehan; Liam Casey, Jack Kennedy; Josh Keane, Kevin O'Halloran, Brian Fox; Liam Boland, Michael Quinlivan, Liam McGrath
Tomás Ó Sé's Verdict
The Kerry man sees this clash as the game of the weekend in football. He points to a trio of Cork players as crucial in determining the outcome.
Weather
In the afternoon and evening, showers or longer spells of rain will move into the Southeast and South turning heavy and possibly thundery and some spot flooding is possible. Highest temperatures will range 17 to 23 degrees Celsius. For more go to met.ie.
