Michael Ryan has Tipperary quickly up to speed

Tipperary 1-23 Dublin 0-12: Tipperary’s direct approach bore fruit at Semple Stadium on Saturday as new boss Michael Ryan enjoyed the perfect start to his competitive reign.

Tipp won a series of pre- season challenge games but after deciding against participating in the Munster senior hurling league, the worry was his men would be undercooked for the bigger tests.

Speaking to this paper recently, however, Ryan promised Tipp would be ready — and they were — as Dublin were handed a 14-point hammering on a freezing evening in Thurles.