Battle lines drawn as Tipp take first blood

Yes it was only the league, but there were so many subplots to this game yesterday in Semple Stadium.

A couple of weeks ago, it was to have been the glamour NHL opener, under lights in Thurles, but twice it had been postponed due to bad weather. In the meantime, however, Tipperary lost heavily to Dublin, meaning that this game took on a new significance for the hosts.