McGrath: physical edge will bring best out of both teams

THERE’S no doubt that, played at its best, hurling is truly an art.

The grace of Henry Shefflin as he takes to the air; or to watch the O’Connor twins as they two-step their way through an opposition defence, is really beautiful, part of what brings us back, year after year to see the magic.

Even as we count down to the first match in the Munster championship, however – Sunday’s meeting in Thurles of Tipperary and Cork – we must note also that hurling isn’t just about fancy wrist work, about balletic reaching for the ball; hurling is also about courage, about character, about hardship.

It’s not just that Shefflin does what he does, that the O’Connor twins do what they do – it’s that they do it in the full knowledge that, at any moment, they can be hit, and hit hard. For all its artistic beauty, you see, and in common with all other top team sports, hurling is also about physicality, about pain, about performance under intense pressure.

Thus it is when Tipp and Cork parade around Semple Stadium behind the pipe band on Sunday they are not readying themselves for an exhibition, they are girding themselves for battle.

Tipperary midfielder, Shane McGrath will be one of those players: “In my own position, midfield, physicality isn’t hugely important, but at the same time the lift it gives the crowd, the lift it gives everyone – two lads going full tilt for a 50/50 ball and belting off each other.

“People talk about the skill factor but the physicality is still there and always will be. I’m glad these new rules weren’t voted in, it would have ruined hurling; I think the league final was a great advertisement for the game, a good solid tough game.”

Most hurling fans would agree, a titanic battle between themselves and Kilkenny, won by the Cats after extra-time, yet there were those who saw it otherwise, who felt that the beautiful game was somehow sullied by the hard hitting. Nonsense, of course.

Without this hard physical edge, hurling is reduced to field tennis, no test of courage or of resolve such as that faced by Tipperary themselves when they faced Waterford in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final. Up to that point a precocious Tipperary had been the team of the year, had won all before them In Croke Park, however, against a seasoned Waterford, they came up against a team on a mission, a team that really tested their hurling mettle – they failed that test, failed because even with all their undoubted basic hurling skills, they didn’t stand up to the physical challenge, were intimidated on the day.

“I’d agree with that,” McGrath admits, quite candidly. “For a lot of lads it was our first time playing in Croke Park, an All-Ireland semi-final. I didn’t really think about it at the time but Waterford really set out their stall in the opening minutes, had two or three points on the board very early before we even got a ball into their half. We dug deep, came back, but just didn’t have that bit of resolve, that bit of experience, to close it out, and that told in the end.

“This doesn’t mean, of course, that you’re going to win an All-Ireland just by being physical. Waterford went out in the All-Ireland final and tried the same tactic against Kilkenny but were themselves blown away, simply because they met a team even more complete than themselves.”

Again this season Tipp started well, were unbeaten in the league when heading for Nowlan Park, March 22 round four; 5-17 to 1-12 it finished, humiliation for Tipp, blown away by Kilkenny, game over well before half-time. Under Liam Sheedy’s steely baton, however, they rallied in the league, came back to win all their remaining games, qualified for another meeting with the three-time All-Ireland champions. And this time steel met steel, sparks flew, and this time, though Kilkenny again came out on top, there were two proud teams still standing at the final whistle.

“We had a big point to prove to ourselves, to those at home, that we’re not that bad,” said Shane.

“We got a lesson that day from what will go down as one of the greatest teams in history, but we’ve proved a point now. We’re still a bit off it, we know that, but we’re hoping to get up there some day.”

That doesn’t mean, of course, that Tipp will now go ahead and beat Cork on Sunday. This Cork team too is proven, proven on and off the field, and while that fact is being overlooked by those who are writing off the Rebels, McGrath is aware, very aware.

“I wouldn’t be in that boat. Cork have played two competitive challenges lately, putting up huge scores against Dublin and Limerick who will be expected to do well in the championship themselves. They’re the closest thing to a professional team ever in the GAA. We’re under no illusions, Cork will be as well prepared as any inter-county team this year, we know that.

“Any time you play Cork you’d be nervous. Ultimately Cork are Cork, they have this tradition. Tradition won’t count for much when the ball is thrown in but they have it, and they have experience. We’re going to have it all to do to get a result.”