As usual, Dublin leave us with plenty to ponder

IN THE build up to this second round qualifying game, the rumour mill was working overtime with regard to the Dublin squad’s wellbeing following their comprehensive loss to Meath.

Rumours of unrest in a football camp don’t necessarily prove fatal — consider Kerry’s position at this time last year and how that story unfolded. However, leaving the rumours aside and looking at it from a manager’s perspective, it is always a concern when more than one or two alterations are made to a team in the middle of the Championship; it essentially means your team is unsettled, which usually affects performance levels in a negative way. The Dublin management altered a third of their team for this match. Strangely there was no change to the full back line which had conceded three goals and five points to the Meath full-forward line in the Leinster semi-final.

Incessant rain made for slippy underfoot conditions. Since the arrival of John Evans, Tipp have used a short passing, running game with the emphasis on fitness and hard work, but the conditions were not suited to this type of game and the amount of handling errors made by Tipperary from the start was almost twice that of Dublin. It cost them.