Tipperary’s 2010 starlets become men, now for the journey

In the lull after the minor match last Sunday a few of us collided over the teacups in the press room and agreed in passing that, logically, this simply had to be Tipperary’s day.

Michael Fennelly out, leaving the holders’ porch devoid of oversized canines. Eoin Larkin aged 32. Two members of the full-forward line making their first championship start. A centre-back dropped for the replay with Waterford and now recalled in extremis. And their opponents a young and progressive team whose form line, if not bulletproof, had no gaping holes.

There’s nothing to beat a young and progressive team. Particularly not treble-chasing champions, as was the case for Cork in 2004 and Kilkenny two years later, and even less so drive-for-fiveing champions: see Tipperary themselves in 2010. Every decade witnesses a couple of progressive young teams lift the MacCarthy Cup, a la Offaly 1994 and Clare 2013. Wexford in 1996 were, uniquely, a progressive old team.