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All you need to know about Tipperary v Cork

Updated / Sunday, 27 May 2018 08:41
Cork won by four points when the sides met in Munster a year ago
Cork won by four points when the sides met in Munster a year ago

Throw-in
Semple Stadium, Sunday 27 May, 2pm.

Online
Live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News Now App from 1.30pm. 

Radio 
Live and exclusive national commentary on Sunday Sport, RTÉ Radio 1, with Pauric Lodge and Brian Carroll.

TV
The Sunday Game Live on RTÉ 2 from 1.30 pm will have export analysis from Cyril Farrell, Ger Loughnane and Henry Shefflin, with live and exclusive commentary from Daragh Maloney and Michael Duignan.  

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 2-27 Tipperary 1-26 (Munster quarter-final)
2014 Tipperary 2-18 Cork 1-11 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2012 Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-24 (Munster semi-final)
2011 Tipperary 3-22 Cork 0-23 (Munster quarter-final)
2010 Cork 3-15 Tipperary 0-14 (Munster quarter-final) 

Form Guide 
Things aren't good at the moment for the Tipperary hurlers, as evidenced by a below-par showing against Kilkenny in the league final and then last Sunday's reverse against Limerick in a game where Tipp were somewhat fortunate to lose by six points. Add to that Michael Ryan's short-lived media ban which was lifted when he spoke to Tipp FM on Tuesday morning.

The manager claimed it was decided in advance that he would not face mics or dictaphones after the Limerick match and added: "We took that decision in the light of the fact that we were facing four Sundays in a row. Anything that is a distraction to our hurling is not welcome."

If that wasn't enough, Tipp's capitulation against the Shannonsiders has come in for much criticism. The Sunday Game pane, well, Tomás Mulcahy didn't hold back.

Needless to say, the pressure is on Tipp to get two points against the Rebels. In 2013, their season ended on 6 July with a defeat to Kilkenny in the qualifiers. This new format could see them watching on from the sidelines come mid June. Would the manager survive? You wouldn't think so.  

My colleague Conor Neville wrote quite eloquently on these pages on Tipp's failure to drive on in recent seasons.

"Traditionalists expect more of them. They've oodles of talent. A grand tradition so there's no historical hang-ups to overcome. When their forward line takes wing, there's no greater sight in hurling. 

"Tipperary's recent one-in-a-rows have become a stick to beat them with.

"At least Clare and Galway were allowed enjoy their All-Ireland victories for a little while - although Clare have been so abject since 2013 that they've probably squandered that hard-earned respect - but for Tipp, an All-Ireland win is regarded as a starter rather than the meal. It's supposed to tee up a decent period of ascendancy. 

"Tipp are like a student whose teachers expect them to deliver A1's in every subject but they keep tossing in a C3 or a D2 every now and again because they couldn't be bothered with homework." 

As for Cork, they opened up winning a game that for the large part they looked in control of when accounting for Clare at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. 

And while Anthony Nash again demonstrated why he is the best 'keeper at the moment, Patrick Horgan firing over some audacious points and goals at the right time from Conor Lehane and Seamus Harnedy, it was Cork's rearguard that caught the eye against the Banner.

Getting in vital hooks and blocks that stopped more than a few Clare raids was a thread that ran through the fixture  - Mark Coleman's first-half block on David Reidy a case in point.

And so now the Rebels head to their 'home from home' to take on opposition they tamed in breathtaking fashion last year. The intensity level will, as a result, ratchet up a level ahead of this collision.

The counties meet in the championship for the 86th time, with Tipperary leading 39-38, with seven draws and one abandoned game from the previous 85.

Different approach

In his column, in the Irish Independent, former Tipp netminder and now RTÉ analyst Brendan Cummins wrote about a growing disconnect between the current team and its supporters, not helped he adds by Mick Ryan's decision to ignore the media on Sunday evening last.

Cummins expect a change of style on the field of play against Cork, or should I say a return to a style that suits Tipp better - that is fast, low ball into a forward line rather than ball with snow on it. 

A telling stat is that Tipp scored only 1-03 from play in the league final loss to Kilkenny and the defeat to Limerick.

The manager himself is confident his side can turn things around.

He told Tipp FM: "Nobody goes out to play a bad match," he said. "Nobody cares more about the performance last Sunday than our group. It hurts us all.

"We don’t have a divine right to win every single game. Anybody who doesn’t realise that is not living in the real world.

"This is part of a four-week run. We didn’t have a good result in game one (but) we have loads of room for improvement."If we were at our max capacity last Sunday, and lost the game by six points I’d be far more concerned.

"Our destiny is still in our own hands and we’re doing everything we can to make sure we give a huge performance on Sunday."

Team news
Blow for Cork with the news that Alan Cadogan will not play this summer due to a knee injury.

Cadogan missed Cork's win over Clare last weekend, but had hoped to be back for the latter stages of the provincial championship - those hopes however dashed following surgery this week.

For Tipp, Seamus Callanan, Patrick Maher, Brendan Maher and Sean O'Brien all hold their places having been introduced at the Gaelic Grounds. Also starting behind Tipp's '45 on Sunday are Michael Cahill and Joe O'Dwyer.

Tipperary: Brian Hogan; Sean O'Brien, Seamus Kennedy, Michael Cahill; Joe O'Dwyer, Ronan Maher, Padriac Maher (capt); Brendan Maher, Billy McCarthy; Dan McCormack, Noel McGrath, Patrick McGrath; Seamus Callanan, Jason Forde, John McGrath. 

John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer is named on the subs bench. 

Richie Power's Verdict

"Tipp really need the likes of Brendan Maher, Bonner Maher and Seamus Callanan fully fit and ready to start for what is now a huge game.

WIf they go out with the same team I couldn’t see them beating a Cork side that were hugely impressive against Clare, even though it’s in Semple Stadium.

Tipp’s tactics didn’t make sense. On Sunday last, they seemed to want to get the ball over the Limerick half-back line as quickly as possible and went route one throughout the game.

They’ve gone away from their strategy in 2016 when the quality of ball hit in to the corners was so good that they ripped Kilkenny’s back line apart in the final.

They only lost last year by a point to the eventual champions Galway, so why change?"

Michael Duignan's Verdict
"Tipp don’t become a bad team overnight. They have been in the top one or two for the last eight or nine years, they have a lot of quality and I’d say they’ll start with a lot more experienced team than they did the last day – it backfired a bit with all the new players they started last Sunday against Limerick."

Weather
warm and humid with highest temperatures typically ranging 18 to 22 or 23 degrees Celsius, warmest across central and northern areas. Some southwestern counties will experience slightly lower maxima with onshore breezes. Some scattered showers early on but they will tend to become more isolated with spells of sunshine through the day, all in near calm. Thundery showers may move in across eastern counties around nightfall though For more go to met.ie

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