Benny hopes Tipp can beat system
On the one hand, he is aware of the leadership required of him on and off the field. And, with the likelihood of a few newcomers being selected, there is an appreciation that they need all the help they can get from the more experienced members of the side.
Then, there is the small matter of following in his brother's footsteps. Tommy Dunne didn't just lead Tipperary to their last All-Ireland triumph in 2001, he epitomised all that was best about Tipperary hurling. Just as importantly, he was an outstanding advertisement for the game itself and, even without having the same high profile, continues to be so. "Being captain is obviously a big honour for me," said Benny. "The first thing I'd say is that I'll never better big brother. All I can do is try to equal him."
Benny's probable selection tonight in the half-forward line wouldn't meet with universal approval in the county. At club level, he is best known as a defender. And by his own admission, he is most comfortable operating in the backline, or alternatively at midfield.
"My club team would never dream of playing me in the forward line because I have played all my hurling in the half-back line and two years ago I went back into the corner in a county final. Last year, I played mostly at centre-back," he said. "I could be at midfield or at half-forward with Tipperary, but as long as I am getting a Tipperary jersey I don't mind where I play."
He doesn't envy Cork their success last season. Yet, at the same time he regrets how it all turned sour for Tipp, that day in Fitzgerald Stadium, when goals in the second half from the two McCarthys, Timmy and Niall, inspired a Cork win and kick-started their championship campaign.
"Thinking back to the Cork game, you could say that we under-achieved. Firstly, we were unlucky to lose to Waterford, by a point, from a goal scored in the last minute. We beat Limerick and we were really up for the game in Killarney. But we had a couple of missed chances. A few things went against us and Cork capitalised and got goals at the right time. We'll be hoping to rectify that this year, starting off on Sunday."
Form over the course of the League was mixed, he says. A particular disappointment was the failure to Kilkenny in Nowlan Park in the second phase after they had surprised Galway in Pearse Stadium. That was a huge win for them, he says, while the result in Nowlan Park was a bit of downer - for the reason that they felt they had played well for long periods.
"We shot 14 wides that day. Kilkenny showed their strength in depth by bringing in vital players at key times and they showed how strong they are. We'll be trying to get to their level as the year goes along."
With some observers predicting a surprise Limerick win, Benny still sees Tipp as genuine provincial champion material.
"We'd be hoping to win out, but we're not looking beyond Sunday's game. Thanks to the supporters club and the county board we went to Portugal for the best part of a week last month.
"We hadn't been away for the last three years. That was a big change for us and we trained twice a day over. We just wanted to get a feel of what it was like to be together 24/7, to get to know one each other better.
"We came home late on a Friday night, played on the Sunday and lost to Clare.
"We knew we weren't going to get the benefits straight away, but we'd be hoping we will as the year goes on. Hopefully, that fitness and hard work will stand to us."
He welcomes the introduction of the new system, but hopes that Tipperary won't have to avail of it.
His feeling is that it will benefit the likes of Galway - who were cold coming in against Kilkenny last year.
Overall he believes that it will be for the good of hurling as a whole.
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