Tipperary's Michael Ryan will stick with tried and trusted

“No nonsense” is the description that comes up time and time again about Michael Ryan. Observers have hardly been startled by the more direct approach taken by Tipperary this year, given the nature of the man at the helm.

Diplomacy isn’t missing from the Upperchurch/Drombane’s makeup, but there’s a pragmatism to his words too. Take the venue: Eoin Kelly says Thurles is worth a goal to the home team, but the fact that the Gaelic Grounds hosts Sunday’s final is no big deal to Ryan.

“Did the pitch ever win you a match? Does the wind ever win you a match? It really doesn’t. It’s down to what you do, how the players adapt, how quickly they settle, who’s going to win the key battles, the usual post-match signals we all recognise. That’s what will tell us who is going to win this match. We’ve just got to try and figure them out in advance.”