Liam Sheedy: Croke Park just hits different in the semi-final colosseum

This is the weekend your year forks one way or the other. And experience is such a vital factor when things drift away from you.

IN THE COLOSSEUM: Tipperary's manager Liam Sheedy during the 2019 All-Ireland semi-final with Wexford. Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Tommy Dickson

What’s different about Croke Park? Why does something shift when you enter the great colosseum? In hurling we talk a lot about going up a gear when we reach HQ. Definitely in Tipp, that has been a narrative. By semi-final time, everything has to be quicker and sharper, your touch, your striking. Maybe most importantly, your decision making. You’re trusting your instincts absolutely and you’re wired in. There’s no second-guessing.

That applies on the line as much as anywhere. I’ve been thinking about the factors that can swing these two big games one way or the other. Brian Lohan, John Kiely and Micheál Donoghue have had plenty of outings on this stage. For Ben O’Connor, it’s all firsts this year. And no matter how easily Ben seems to have settled into it all, this is another notch on the learning curve.