Michael Ryan: You learn more in defeat

Another tight defeat to Kilkenny. Another question mark placed against Tipperary’s resolve when facing their neighbours.

If it isn’t becoming a trend, manager Michael Ryan is at least aware that it has been happening far too much for his liking.

“Let’s be very clear here — we’re not the only team that’s ever come down to Kilkenny and lost,” he said.

“Where we stand in the rankings is irrelevant. Whether we’re the second-best or the third-best team or the fourth-best team... they’re the best team. They’ve proved that over the last decade.

“Nobody wants to come second, us included. Is it an issue? Look, we don’t like it but it is what it is.

“We’re doing our damnedest to change that around and develop our squad into the squad that we want.”

Ryan anticipates that Tipperary will come in for sharp words from their critics having lost their lead so late in the game. “I always feel the tighter the game, the more you learn,” he said.

“It’s human nature but we’ve got our critics when we lose a game as well.

“We don’t tend to gloss over some of the positives, we tend to hone in on the negatives. That’s a double-edged sword but we tend to learn more about each other and about ourselves in defeat, unfortunately.”

Tipperary weren’t short of goal opportunities but never found the net in Nowlan Park.

“Those opportunities to win a big match, you’ve got to take them,” said Ryan. “But it’s still February, I wouldn’t be panicking. It was a good game of hurling, we were in right until the end. We will take a lot of positives but as I keep saying you learn an awful lot more about yourself in defeat than you ever do in victory.”

He confirmed Jason Forde, star of the opening day win over Dublin, was a late cry-off because of illness.