The composition of Liam Sheedy’s first championship team selection since returning as Tipperary manager will draw on it, the eyes of the hurling world.

At around 4.15am yesterday morning, some boy-racer thought the Ennis-Kilrush road was Siverstone or Mondello Park. The car started doing donuts, the screeching tyres laying assault to my eardrums. I had to be up at 6.30 anyway to meet the Limerick minor bus at 8 but that was my night’s sleep done and dusted.

It was without doubt the game of the year. The picture of the Tipp players prostrate on the ground as Galway celebrated said it all. The Premier came up just short and Galway won because they stubbornly refused to be beaten.

A classic? No: yesterday’s All-Ireland semi-final won’t shoulder its way into the annals of classic Cork-Tipperary encounters, but those in blue and gold will hardly worry.

There’s a saying in sport that you can’t coach experience and experience certainly won Sunday’s game for Tipperary, while on the other side, inexperience cost Cork.