Stapleton rejects criticism of Tipp as ‘over the top’

PADDY STAPLETON reckons criticism of Tipperary’s All-Ireland final display was excessive.

Although he appreciates expectations of the hurlers are always high amongst their own, the corner-back believes they performed well in the second half after their poor start, which saw them fail to score for the opening 15 minutes.

“I’d say we met a Kilkenny team that were pumped up on the day and full of quality,” said the Borrisileigh man.

“We got a terribly bad start but after that we didn’t play as badly as people might have said.

“Maybe it was a little over-the-top but I suppose when you’re from Tipp you’re expecting the best and on the day maybe we weren’t good enough.”

The hurt of 2009 sustained Tipperary handsomely in 2010 and Stapleton is anticipating the pain of this year’s All-Ireland defeat will motivate them long into 2012.

The corner-back hasn’t revisited footage of the match. He’ll do so possibly over the Christmas period to analyse what went wrong but the camp met up last month and the message from management was to move on from the disappointment while harnessing the pain of it.

“It was the same for Kilkenny last year and us in 2010. You have that hurt and it is very easy to say that you are going to be motivated but from your own point of view it is hard to feel it unless you are going through those emotions yourself. Hopefully the emotions would drive you on.

“Even just getting the break having gone through a winter of going around with the cup and things like that. There is not as much talk about it and you forget about hurling for a little while and that always brings the hunger back.

“If it is on your mind 24/7, it creeps back into you again and you just want to get going. That’s the way that I feel now. I can’t wait for the Fitzgibbon Cup [with UL] and to get back into training with Tipp and hopefully have a good season again.”

Stapleton rubbishes the idea Tipperary peaked too soon with their seven-goal haul against Waterford in the Munster final.

“I thought we played very well on the day and Waterford more or less didn’t. Everything we hit went over the bar or into the goal so I don’t know if we were even that great that day.

“After seeing that match, a lot of teams learned different ways to play against us and what you shouldn’t do.

“It was just the teams that came out against us were of high quality. Dublin are a good side, they’re very strong and have good hurlers and we all know about Kilkenny. I wouldn’t say we peaked, I’d say we just met good teams.”

While making no excuses for Tipperary’s average All-Ireland series, Stapleton would prefer to see the five-week gap between the Munster final and All-Ireland semi-final reduced for the winners.

“If there were three weeks or a month and you’d be delighted to get back into it but that’s the way the GAA works.”

Tipperary’s attitude towards last year’s Allianz League Division 1 was questioned somewhat, especially as their training camp in Carton House was held on the same weekend as the league final.

Will they take a more earnest approach to the competition next year? “I would not say it is more important. I would say that it is the very same.

“Maybe last year, there was new management and they were looking at new players as well as the existing players and they had to evaluate what they had so there is no point going through the league with the exact same players and then come the championship someone gets injured and you don’t know what you have on the sideline.”