You’re the man making claims 
Claims?
It’s clear of all to see, you spoon. 
Should have won that one. Overall better side. Stack lacked authority and looked like a substitute teacher fresh out of St Pats being given assignment of teaching a bunch of pups. They picked up on this. He had no presence and was guessing half the time. One of the best handpasses of the game from Bonnar with Tipp through on goal and he blows. Lynch had as blatant a throw to Gillane in same phase of play that he allowed. At the bare minimum a 2 point swing. Possibly 4. Awards a phantom free on Mulcahy in injury time which Byrnes duly popped over. If that was a foul well then Dan McCormack being flattened on the opposite side of the field which lead to a free for overcarrying was also one. This was reduced to a throw ball in which Limerick won same possession. Another score for Limerick. There were countless examples of this but when you want to point to pivotal moments when Tipp threatened to make it 2 score game they were obvious ones. Owens missing the Tipp sideline which hit off Richie English knee. Incredibly frustrating to be rode roughshod like that for an hour and its no wonder Cahill finally lost it and the melee at the end. Over the course of the game he blew Tipp for overcarrying 4 times and 3 times for thrown handpasses. I cant remember one for Limerick bar Mike Casey coming out and catching it twice before half time. Maybe Stack took Bubbles comments to task about referees not being as vigilant to other teams. Thats grand but you can still apply rules equitably too. Stack cannot referee a big game again.
Limerick probably improved from their first 2 games tbh. The 3 week break came at the right time for them and they had Tipp in all sorts of bother in the first 10 minutes as is their want. Tipp played into their hands with some terrible clearances but Limericks intensity in tackling went up several notches and effected Tipps decision making. I thought Cathal O Neill was exceptional for a lot of the game confirming his status as one of the best young players in the game but William O Donoghue was phenomenal. He seemed to be everywhere laying off passes for scores in the Tipp half and back in his own breaking things up. Byrnes was his usual self. Limerick full back line held firm in 2nd half and really tightened up following a shaky opening half hour. Hannon and Hayes in particular thundered into it when Tynan went off. Limerick are a bit off the points tallies they amassed last year. They were getting over 30 points in a lot of games last year so the drop off is allowing teams stick with them longer into games. Its clear enough the gap is attributable to Hegartys regression. Lynch was a non factor last year due to injury but he is a non factor really this year too. You’d wonder how much more patience Kiely will have in those 2. I think Casey showed up well yesterday and surely he can feel aggrieved were he not to start the next day. Limericks inside line got nothing easy. Cathal Barrett really had a fine battle with Flanagan and won that contest. Breen did OK on Gillane too who had his moments. Barrett for me is the best defender in the country. He is the epitome of everything good about Tipp hurling and embodies a lot of those attributes that Tipp hurling is synonymous for traditionally like toughness, grit, never beaten and even exudes a bit of arrogance which Tipp hurling too has been accused of during periods. He is a real throwback.
I haven’t really seen a piece of defending like the one where Flanagan had drifted in behind and Barrett somehow managed to cut the pass out, loses his footing and knowing he was on a yellow was still able to intercept the ball from Flanagan a 2nd time before rising it with the hurley facing the wrong way and bursting out. It was absolutely fucking incredible what he did there.
Tipp I thought were way more balanced but I don’t think Limerick were ever going to go for goals at the same clip as Clare or Cork. Limerick are a bit like a boxer happy to go 12 rounds and out point you. At the other end when we seemed to be making inroads looking for green flags of our own Limerick were happy to take turns fouling and receiving the yellow and conceding the pointed free. Full Back line was solid and provided good protection to Shelly who I thought could be pleased with his first start. O Mara was brilliant and has quicky turned into a key leader on this team. He has a lot of the same attributes and instincts as Brendan Maher had. Connolly did fine and grew into the game although Cathal O Neill was able to evade him a couple of times. Dan was excellent. Won 2 high balls over Hegarty in first half which is no easy feat. Stakelum in midfield was very disappointing in the first half. He spilled or miscontrolled 3 or 4 possessions and hit away another couple inexplicably and totally unforced. He was a bit better in the 2nd half. Kennedy and Tynan did fine. Thankless roles for both of them but did a lot of hard running. Morris was superb and has totally turned his game around. Kehoe was OK but couldn’t make the ball stick at all in the last 10 minutes. Limerick were able to get 2 points from those mental lapses. You feel if Forde were available we would have won both these last 2 games. Kehoe is a bit too streaky at present but if Cahill and Bevans can bring about same improvement as they have done with Morris he will be fine. Bonnar exceptional. Old dog for the hard road. One of my favourite ever Tipp players. O Connor did well. Won a couple of frees, put a few over. Caught one great ball and laid it off for a score and also boomed one over from play from midfield. Hard to know what his ceiling is or how good he can be. He might be a small bit caught for toe but he has plenty of other attributes and is a very good out ball. Redemption for both John McGrath and Bowe who stood up hugely when they came on.
Great atmosphere at the game. Tipp support roused the players and you felt it seeping from the stands down to the players on the pitch. In Pairc Ui Caoimh and Gaelic grounds when Limerick came at Tipp like a buzz saw in those 3rd quarters Tipp had no response, no energy and belief seemed to drift away from them. When those blades were been sharpened at same juncture yesterday and Limerick rallied with first 4 points of 2nd half the Tipp chants grew louder and louder and the players never wilted. There has to be something in that. Definitely not feeling alone or isolated out there. It was heartening to see the Tipp players one in all in at the end and even Noel McGrath not taking a backward step in standing up for his younger brother. If Bubbles had been on GAAGo duties I wouldn’t have put it past him coming in WWF style like Stone Cold. It had a powderkeg feel to it down there.
Will they meet again. Its hard to know. A Clare Tipp Munster final looks most likely one which Clare will be all out to win. I still think Tipp are not been given their dues. Mitigating factors/ excuses seem to be stifling every team against Tipp amongst certain elements. We did not win our last 2 games and the killer instinct is usually that last piece to find but with someone like Forde to come back in I think we can look forward to closing out these games a bit better and not fretting who will be last man standing to take a free. Most open all Ireland in years and I think we have as good a shot as any.
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What’s clear?
You said it was a practice - what are the stats on it?
Ah I was hoping for a few bites but my bait was too sour.
This Limerick group could get hockeyed by Kerry and they’d be sound legacy wise.
They should still put a clipping on Cork. Another couple of years and a fully fit starting 15 and Cork might be competitive again.
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What exactly is Limerick’s legacy?
I’m genuinely curious.
There’s been nothing between cork and tipp or Clare. I have no idea where people are getting the idea that Limerick will give them a clipping.
Having Tipp lads rattled to levels higher than Mt. Everest
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This Limerick team love bullying Cork. I don’t see a level of aggression in Cork to stand up to that yet
You’ve been wrong at every turn about Limerick and it absolutely eats you up inside.
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That’s not it, what eats him up is that they killed off and then eclipsed his one-in-a-row heroes.
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All joking aside. Limerick are still favourites for AI for obvious reasons.
When they start hitting a few goals then they’ll start winning games that but easier
Sure we loved bullying tipp too.
No i haven’t. I have just been consistent in my views on them is all.
On another note I’d be interested in your take on Big Rob yesterday. Another post match touchline fracas where the big man was nowhere to be seen. After the Waterford official v Hego a few weeks ago thats twice now he’s been AWOL. He was outstanding in Limerick a few weeks ago dealing with the Clifford situation but i wonder is this split season, microwave championship taking it out of him. Its very difficult to be in top form week on week. Like Hego and a few more of the Limerick’s he looks completely burned out.
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You get the feeling that on the day it clicks- the fumbling, missed passing, small errors are ironed out- they’ll give someone an absolute paddling.
But whether we are still in the comp for it to click is the question
A good observation. Would it be possible he’d been assigned to take charge of the hayshed in Ennis?
He was in Thurles yesterday.
Questions need to be asked.
Although he did seem to have put in place a very efficient system of keeping players apart as they headed down the tunnel at half time.
The ultimate test of an Inter County hurling team is to come to Thurles and beat Tipperary in Championship.
Thats twice now this current crop from Limerick have come and failed to get the job done. Its a huge asterisks over their legacy.
They couldnt even do it at Under 21 either.