Anthony Daly: Cork and Limerick sharpen their teeth for savagery 

When Clare and Tipperary weren’t ready for that attack, they were like fresh pieces of raw meat.

David Nally of Offaly and Rian Boran of Kildare contest a high ball during the Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Round 5 match between Kildare and Offaly at Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge, Kildare. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Munster championship hurling has always been so dog-eat-dog that if you’re not ready for the fight, the hungrier dog will just eat you alive, chew you up into small pieces, and spit you straight back out.

There was always a risk of yesterday’s two matches being bloodbaths when the terms and conditions had been set beforehand. The big dogs, Cork and Limerick, were effectively already in a Munster final, so they saw this as an opportunity to sharpen their teeth for the savagery coming in two weeks. And when Clare and Tipp weren’t ready for that attack, they were like fresh pieces of raw meat.