Anthony Daly: Unless Tipp show what they’re made of against Waterford, they can forget about 2026

Team selection secrecy, scoring concerns and defensive match-ups dominate analysis ahead of crucial Munster hurling championship encounters

NOW OR NEVER? Jake Morris of Tipperary the defeat by Cork at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

At 11.50am last Sunday morning, I withdrew Mark Rodgers from my Fantasy Hurling team. The cut-off point for making changes is noon so I hastily replaced Rodge with Peter Duggan. With the whole county having it on good authority that Mark was ‘100%’ out, and since I had no Clare forward on my team, I felt that putting Duggy in would compensate for that potential deficit.

Even an hour before the game, the word on the street was that Rodge was in a protective boot since being taken off in the league final. When Damien O Meara put it into our RTÉ Whatsapp group 45 minutes before the game that Shane O’Donnell was in for number 13 (Shane Meehan), I felt compelled to correct him. ‘Surely you mean number 14 (Rodgers)?’ That wasn’t what Damien was hearing. And he was right.