Maher’s return fillip for Tipp
With the selectors leaving the left corner-forward position open in the hope that Lar Corbett will be able to play, Maher's selection in place of John Devane represents the only change from the semi-final win over Clare.
Notably, however, Ger 'Redser' O'Grady is added to the substitute's panel as is John O'Brien, who has recovered from a hamstring problem.
Manager Ken Hogan said after the team announcement in Thurles last night that he was delighted to have Maher available and he explained that they were giving Corbett every chance to prove his fitness. Corbett was forced off injured after only 15 minutes of the game against Clare.
Predictably, Maher expressed delight at making it back so soon. "It was an upset to get injured here in training. But I knew it was not serious and (surgeon) Tadhg O'Sullivan did a great job and got me back quickly.''
He pointed out that his comeback had been aided by his appearance with his club in a championship game the weekend before last.
"I did a bit of hurling on Tuesday night and I had my first full 'match' situation in training on Thursday - and again on Sunday. I was happy enough. I knew I was right,'' he added.
Goalkeeper Brendan Cummins is recovering from shingles and while he took a break from training last night, he has no worries about his fitness.
Meanwhile, win or lose, selector Colm Bonnar believes Tipperary can gain a huge benefit from Sunday's final, on the basis that it's not a 'make-or-break' game and that the experience will stand to them in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
"It's ideal for our team to play in the atmosphere of a Munster final, hopefully do well and with a bit of luck, maybe win it. It will do them a world of good. If not in the quarter-finals, it will stand to them over the next couple of years," he says.
Once the draw was made, qualification for the final was seen by the management as being feasible, but they planned for both eventualities.
"We put so much into the Munster championship last year that when Waterford beat us it was devastating and we found it very hard to regroup. This year we gave them the scenario that the hurling wasn't really going to start until the quarter-finals and ultimately that was where we wanted to be. We knew the best route would be to beat Limerick and to beat Clare and have a shot at the Munster final.
"We felt that Cork and Waterford were probably the two best teams in Munster and between Limerick, Clare and ourselves anything could happen. We had as good a chance of beating them as they had with us. We felt it was a very realistic goal to get to the final and the way we did it was even better for us because we had two very tough games against Limerick and it brought the panel together even more. So, we were in very good condition for the match against Clare."
For Bonnar, one of three brothers who were on the All-Ireland-winning Tipperary teams of 1989 and 1991, Pairc Ui Chaoimh will revive a lot of memories, not all of them pleasant. Injury ruled him out of the drawn 1991 final there against Cork and he was on the losing side in the 1997 decider against Clare.
His playing career also ended in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, when Waterford beat them in the 1998 semi-final.
Just three years ago he was associated with Waterford's biggest win in the championship in four decades (being a selector with Justin McCarthy, having filled a similar role under Gerald McCarthy). But, it wasn't exactly a day for personal celebrations. The Decies' first provincial title win since 1963 was achieved with a victory over Tipperary. "When the final whistle went there was a huge sense of euphoria among everyone. I was delighted for the players and it was a big thing for the county. But it did take from the occasion for me personally and I had played with a good few of the Tipp lads. It was different when we beat Cork in the semi-final in Thurles. I must have jumped all over the place because, as a Tipp man, it meant so much."
Bonnar feels that while the Munster championship will never be devalued as long as there is such competition between the counties, it won't be the "be-all and end-all" as long as the losers gain the same benefit. The "real" hurling won't start until the quarter-final, because it's knock-out.
That's when you need to be firing on all cylinders, when you may need a bit of luck to see you through. It would be a different story in Munster if only one or two teams were competitive, but the fact that each team on the day is capable of beating the other team makes it a very intense championship. At the end of the day, there's only one team can win the All-Ireland final, so winning the Munster or Leinster title along the way can be very worthwhile. Waterford have won their two Munsters and now they are looking at an All-Ireland. But. they couldn't have made that jump without first winning Munster - it's a great learning curve.
"It's still going to be do-or-die against Cork. Both teams will want to win so much Tipp possibly more because Cork are going for their fourth title in six years."
TIPPERARY: B. Cummins; E. Corcoran, P. Maher, P. Curran; D. Fanning, D. Kennedy, D. Fitzgerald; B. Dunne (capt.), P. Kelly; C. Morrissey, F. Devanney, T. Dunne; E. Kelly, M. Webster, A.N. Other.
Subs: D. Young, E. Buckley, J. Carroll, D. Egan, T. King, M. Maher, H. Moloney, P. Morrissey, P. O'Brien, J. O'Brien, M. O'Leary, C. O'Mahony, E. Sweeney, J. Devane, G. O'Grady, L. Corbett.
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