By Shane Brophy
As the game unfolded on a bitterly cold and wet Saturday night in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, it was hard to get away from the sense that Tipperary were no closer to figuring out the Limerick conundrum.
The final margin might have been just one point, but it felt more than that, particularly the control Limerick had on the game from the 30th minute onwards following Jason Forde’s well-finished goal for a 1-7 to 0-5 lead. However, from there, Tipp were outscored 0-21 to 2-9, with 1-1 of that coming deep in injury time.
Whatever it is about the concession of goals, it tends to get Limerick’s dander up more than inspiring the teams that manage to beat Nickie Quaid. Following Forde’s and Patrick Maher’s 58th minute goals, Limerick hit back with a four-point unanswered run on each occasion, completely killing any momentum Tipp hoped to generate from such key scores.
This is just another example of how almost complete a team Limerick are. They are prepared for all eventualities, physically, mentally, and tactically, they can adapt to any situation. If you want to play a sweeper against them, they’ll use the extra man they have in their own half-back line to create overlaps from where they are so adept at long range shooting, they had twelve different scorers in the game to just seven for Tipperary for whom Craig Morgan was the only non-forward to get on the scoresheet.
If you go man-for-man against them, they have the physicality and power to win one-on-one battles, however, this is still the best way of beating them. It is how Clare have managed to go toe-to-toe with them in recent years, man on man, push up on their puckouts. The one aspect no team should do against Limerick is to give them the short puckout, at least make it a contest for possession where there is a greater chance of winning it rather than just giving it to them.
The composition of this Tipperary panel with a strong core of big physical guys who can play anywhere from the half-back to the half-forward line is a nod to Limerick and trying to compete in that area. However, on Saturday night, Tipp proved they are still behind Limerick in that facet as they struggled to break tackles in possession in that zone, whereas Limerick, through their ability to move the ball so quickly before a tackler can get to them, can easily get the ball away from a possible turnover.
While Tipperary didn’t go out not to win on Saturday night, it wasn’t a complete sell-out in terms of having to win, particularly as when Tipp actually do manage to get the better of the Shannonsiders next, they want it to be in a game that matters, which could be a league final, or more importantly in the Munster Championship on April 28th. Limerick are more dangerous than when they are stung and would you want them to be do going into the championship meeting.
The Tipperary team selected wasn’t as full strength as some were hoping with Brian McGrath at centre back, but he doesn’t have the pace to fill that floater role. It was also a tough game for Paddy Cadell to make his first appearance of the season as he struggled to get to the pace of the game.
The full back-line of Craig Morgan, Ronan Maher and Michael Breen were three of Tipperary’s leading performers as holding Limerick to four points from play was a good days work, while as against Galway, they didn’t give up a clear goal-scoring chance with Barry Hogan only called on once to deal with a tame Aaron Gillane effort late on.
However, it was in the puckout where it was a big audition for Hogan in his battle with Rhys Shelly for the number one jersey. Shelly showed against Limerick in the championship last year how adept he is at finding his men and is certainly confident enough in taking a risk in terms of threading the needle with some deliveries and that is what you have to be prepared to do against Limerick. However, whether it was Hogan’s greater caution or the lack of options and movement out the field, it was a struggle to get puckouts into threatening positions, apart from late on when Jake Morris came out to wing forward and ran into space from where Hogan picked him out.
Overall on the night, Tipperary just didn’t have the required energy needed to really compete with Limerick, particularly in that middle third where they struggled to pressurise the All-Ireland champions into turning over possession with Alan Tynan, Eoghan Connolly and Conor Stakelum not effective as would have been needed while the loss of Seamus Kennedy with what appears a serious knee injury is a loss that could have massive consequences in the long term as he is a big game player and utterly dependable when the chips are down. It also highlighted the key roles Noel McGrath and Willie Connors will play as they have the ability and composure to do the right thing with the ball under pressure.
What this game would have highlighted to the Tipp management is that they have to bring something different to beat Limerick. The team has gotten physically stronger, as it needed to, but they can’t copy Limerick in all aspects. They have to play to their own strengths and that is getting ball quickly to the inside forwards. That is easier said than done with the way Limerick’s half-back line protects their goal but in scoring the three goals, Tipp showed a potential weakness in the Limerick full-back line, and if they are to be beaten, goals will be a key currency of doing it.
Could it be that in an era of sweepers and crowded midfields that the best way of winning games is still what it was in 1888, play six forwards and make the pitch as big as you can as Tipp have the speed and skill to trouble them.
Patrick Maher and Sean Ryan showed off the bench that they are Tipp’s best inside forwards at holding up the ball from where the likes of Forde, Morris, Kehoe, O’Connor can come onto it and become an even greater threat. Maybe that alignment is the way to go, or simply, win your own battle.
All was not lost on Saturday night but for Liam Cahill and his management team, it should have confirmed what in their eyes does and does not work against Limerick, for when they do meet again, whereas against everyone else, Tipp are as good as what is out there on their day, but when you lose to Limerick continuously, it doesn’t feel like it.
