Kilkenny backs caught by Tipperary tsunami

After 15 minutes, I looked at the scoreboard and it was five points each. It struck me as strange because Tipp had looked far the better team from the start.

They were extremely sharp, with high work-rate and commitment, particularly up front. Their eight first-half wides and one missed free enabled Kilkenny to stay in touch. However, Seamus Callanan, John O’Dwyer and John McGrath moved with purpose and intent from the beginning, striking a phenomenal tally of 2-15 from play.

The Tipp half-forward line created space in front of this trio and they also benefitted from quality deliveries.