Kelly shows class as Tipp seal Cork date

Tipperary manager Declan Ryan is relishing the prospect of an early season joust with old rivals Cork next Sunday in what could be an early season dress rehearsal for a Munster semi-final in the summer.

The counties will lock horns in the semi-finals of the Waterford Crystal Cup in Clonmel, with both teams in experimental mode ahead of the Allianz Hurling League campaign.

Tipp stuttered past University of Limerick in heavy conditions at Nenagh’s MacDonagh Park on Saturday, with former captain Eoin Kelly showing flashes of enduring class during an impressive 18-minute cameo appearance.