Cummins targets direct route to HQ

Avoiding Kilkenny as long as possible is key to sustaining a team’s All-Ireland interests — even Tipperary’s.

All going well, they won’t face the Cats until September, but Brendan Cummins insists he doesn’t mind when that time comes.

Victory over Waterford in next month’s Munster final will ensure they’re on the opposite side of the draw to Kilkenny, providing Brian Cody’s side beat Galway in July 8’s Leinster final.

However, the veteran goalkeeper regards the reward for retaining their provincial crown as accessing the shortest road to an All-Ireland final, not keeping out of Kilkenny and harm’s way.

“If we do have to go down the road, of playing Kilkenny later in the summer, whichever road we take, that’s fine too.

“We’re just putting our head down now and getting ready to play Waterford. You just try and beat every team that comes against you. The consequences of not winning are that you’ve a longer route and it can be a bit trickier but Waterford is the big focus next.”

Kilkenny dominates the discussion but only because of the questions peppered at Cummins. He knows Waterford have more than an axe to grind after the 7-18 to 0-18 drubbing at Tipperary’s hands in last year’s Munster final.

That said, he can understand why the talk is all about Kilkenny after their devastating performance against Dublin on Saturday.

“Kilkenny have brought in new players and it’s seamless, to be fair to them. What we all aspire to do is win All-Irelands every year and they’re in the fortunate position of doing it.

“The challenge is down for all the rest of us, really. That would have been a point after the 2010 All-Ireland final that Tipp were the ones and we crashed down.

“It’s possible and that’s why we are all playing the game — for challenges — and no bigger challenge now than Waterford, with everybody talking about Kilkenny.”

But being part of only the second Tipperary team to beat Cork in the Munster SFC at Páirc Uí Chaoimh since 1923 (he was also on the 2009 side that performed the feat) brings a smile to his face.

“It’s a fantastic achievement. We’ve a good group of players but in fairness to Cork, they really put it up to us.

“When we got 1-1, it looked like we would pull away but they showed great character and we’re just delighted to get out with that point win. We knew it was going to be close and that’s the way it panned out.”

The game also marked Lar Corbett’s return to competitive action after his retirement u-turn in May. What about the applause he received coming on for Gearóid Ryan?

“The last time I heard a roar like that was when Johnny Leahy came on [in Cork] against Clare in 1999,” grinned Cummins.

“As he [Leahy] said himself, the bigger roar was when he was taken off from the injury. In fairness to Larry, he’s a great figure for us and it’s great to have him back in the fold again.”