Tipperary’s Eoin Kelly admitted that his side did not perform against Limerick in the Munster Hurling Championship on Sunday and must improve for the semi-final meeting with Cork.
Kelly was substituted after failing to make a significant impact in the game and while Tipp trailed by seven points at one stage, they fought back to win 2-20 to 1-19 in Semple Stadium.
Kelly told RTÉ: "We didn’t perform all day. But the substitutes that came on made the difference. We know a performance like that would not be good enough going to beat Cork so we have an awful lot of work to do not just for Cork but for the rest of the year.
"Declan Ryan made the changes at the right time when some of us were not going well. Calls were made and Tipperary were successful today. That is the main thing."
He added: "All the substitutes that came on played their part. He said before the game that it would take 20 (players) and it took 20."
Kelly continued: “We have to believe that we have a strong panel and if the players get their chance, they can do the business. They did that today.
"I would say we will be written off after a performance like that going into the Cork game. We have a lot of work to do. We will get down to brass tacks on Tuesday night and we have a massive battle on our hands going down to the lion’s den in Cork.
"There is a lot of work to do but it is great to still be in the Munster Championship."
