Walsh: You must think for yourself on the field

Kilkenny star Tommy Walsh remains mystified by Tipperary’s attempts to nullify his threat in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final earlier this month.

Former Hurler of the Year Lar Corbett was forced to sacrifice his attacking game to trail the Tullaroan man, who was tasked with marking Pa Bourke from the throw-in. It led to the incredible scene of the trio and Corbett’s opponent, Jackie Tyrell, trailing one another around Croke Park for much of the match.

The tactic backfired badly for Declan Ryan’s side, with the All-Ireland champions cruising to a facile 4-24 to 1-15 victory and setting up a September 9 final date with Galway.

Walsh admitted: “We don’t know the thinking behind it. My job was just to try to keep my man from scoring and that (man) happened to be Pa, then try and get on the ball myself and hit balls up to the forwards.

“That’s all you’re thinking of in the game. There’s always different things but the main thing is you have to think for yourself on the field.

“Different things happen in every match — tactics are a big part of hurling now, probably taken on from the football.

“You just have to go out and prepare for whatever happens and you have to be able to think on your feet.

“The defender’s job is always to try and look after your own man and that’s what we were trying to do.

“I was looking after Pa (Bourke), just try to make sure and keep up with him and hopefully he wouldn’t get on the ball.

“With Tipperary over the last few years their six forwards are so lethal that they only need a little bit of space and they’ll score. You really don’t know what way the match is going to go. You’re really going into the match with an open mind and just hoping you can think on your feet on the day and that it will work out for the team.”

Walsh also dismissed suggestions that Corbett was attempting to have him sent off after the Kilkenny defender picked up a yellow card in the opening stages of the game.

The Kilkenny legend is adamant that hurling is, by and large, immune to issues of poor sportsmanship which have been creeping into soccer.

“I don’t think anyone in hurling ever really tries to get anyone sent off. Usually you see if a lad gets a belt he gets straight back up. I think in hurling that’s the way it’s been, that’s the tradition.

When you go home that’s what your supporters like, that you go out and do your best and if you lose you lose and if you win, you win. When you go back to your clubs a lot of people would be there, you have your 70, 80 or 90-year-olds — all they want is hurling, hurling, hurling and when they see things like that (diving etc.) creeping into soccer they don’t like it. If you go back over the last 10 years, 20 years, when the hurler gets a belt 99 times out of a 100 he just gets straight back up and gets on with it. That’s the way it is at the moment so hopefully it continues.”