It may only be the second week in March, but Tipperary hurling manager Eamon O'Shea's report card on the work done by his charges so far ticks many positive boxes.
After a listless beginning to their Allianz League Division 1A campaign against Dublin, Tipp have responded well with victories over Galway and Clare.
"There's a maturity in the team" was O'Shea's initial reaction to RTÉ Sport following the five-point win over the Banner at Cusack Park on Sunday.
“I’m happy with the squad in terms of what they’re doing. They are very self-directed and take on board a lot of the stuff themselves. We’re now in a position where we just want to be better."
O'Shea added: "The lads that have come in have done really well. Some of the older lads like Conor O'Mahony, Conor O'Brien and Noel McGrath are also showing well.
"Noel McGrath's is only at the pre-season stage in terms of his preparation, so overall I have to be happy."
O'Shea went on emphasise the competitive nature of this year's league and cautioned that his charges could yet feature in the relegation play-off.
"We’re now in a position where we just want to be better" - Eamon O'Shea
"You’ve got five games and you can only hope that every game reflects what you’re doing on the training pitch," he said.
"I thought our attitude and our work rate was good against Clare. That’s all you can hope for and then see where it takes you.
"We’re not clear of relegation yet. We may end up in a relegation battle and if it does happen I don’t mind."
