A facile win against Westmeath – nothing to write home about, thank God. This game was justifiably dealt with quickly by TV and newspaper analysts alike, and that’s exactly what we needed as Tipperary edge ever closer to their first Championship game. A close contest against the Leinster minnows can linger on in the dressing room, podcasts and print media, but the manner in which the Premier men went about their business was really positive.

Although we wasted many a scoring opportunity up to the first water break, I was really happy with our intensity and pace of play early on. Our backline was well on top, with the majority of Westmeath players sitting deep, but our experienced outfit made short work of this tactic. Every time Barry Heffernan, Brendan Maher et al gained possession there was movement ahead of them. Noel McGrath, who is probably not seen as a very vocal player by supporters, was especially animated in looking for possession from a teammate, but, importantly, he was always available as he freely roamed from his centre forward position to either touchline.....

For the full article, including Paddy's thoughts on the players he expects to start in the Munster Championship, please visit the My Club section of the app