Cunningham and Canning bemused at Tipp tactics

It was the major talking-point during the game, it was the major talking-point immediately after the game, it’s been the major talking-point ever since.

Tipperary tactics in last Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final loss to Kilkenny were a total reversal of the normal, as one of hurling’s top forwards, Lar Corbett, was detailed to ‘mark’ one of hurling’s top defenders, Tommy Walsh.

Kilkenny had already decided that another defender, Jackie Tyrrell, would in fact be the man they would delegate to pick up Lar, which, for the 50,000+ crowd in Croke Park and the millions watching on TV, led to the unfolding of some truly bizarre scenes. It also led to several unsavoury incidents and left hurling purists with a very sour taste.