Tipp manager Michael Ryan: ‘Cork’s experience at this point in the championship must count for something’

Michael Moynihan

The conversation with Michael Ryan rambled this way and that. Monaghan and Kerry. The heat. The drought. The weekend came up, obviously enough, and the Tipperary manager gave his take on the four questions being asked of the four All-Ireland semi-finalists.

Q: With all the talk of Galway being huge men are we overlooking their hurling ability? Is there a subtext to that ‘physical’ talk which undercuts their skill?

A: “I think you’re right on this focus on Galway’s physique. Their physical ability is certainly a feature, they’re a big side, clearly, but it’d be disingenuous to dismiss their talent. That’s where I’d come from on that. They’re really, really good hurlers.

That’s not the story, their size — there’s a lot more to it than that. Having said that, a lot of fellas would prefer a good big one to a good small one!

“But Galway are a superb hurling side, you just have to see how they move the ball through the lines — and yet they can also play a very direct game, and they combine those to great effect. That’s one point people should bear in mind about them — they’re not a one-dimensional team in any way, shape or form. They have Johnny Glynn as a great outlet, and why wouldn’t you use him as a target-man when you have him, but they have plenty of other options as well. They can play any way you like.”

Q: Cork must manage a four-week gap from their last game: Will that be an issue, particularly after the round-robin series?

A: “I don’t believe so. Regarding the round robin format, we haven’t seen the aftermath of that yet. Let’s wait and see how that affects players.

“Cork got through the round robin and are Munster champions for the second year in a row, and they fell at this point in the Championship last year. Having that experience must be an advantage to Cork, and that’s before we get near a discussion of the quality they have in their team and the year they’ve had, which has been great.

“I think Cork’s experience at this point in the Championship must count for something, the motivation to do better than last year.

To be fair, they were very unlucky last year against Waterford, it was a really good game and the sending-off had an impact when Cork were just coming at Waterford.

“I don’t think the lay-off will have any negative effect on Cork. If anything I think it’ll be a positive.”

Q: On the other hand, Limerick have players with good minor and U21 experience but not as much senior experience of Croke Park: Will that be a factor?

A: “Yes on one level — but that’s absolutely down to the individual. And if you look at Limerick’s graph this year, every single game they’ve played, they’ve brought something to it.

"They have a system they believe in and their conditioning is super, they closed out the game against Kilkenny very well. That was a huge plus. Getting over Kilkenny in a knock-out game, one that wasn’t handed them at all — they had to fight their way out of it and the last couple of scores they got in that game were phenomenal. For me, that was Limerick coming of age as a team. It wasn’t wild stuff that won the game: They stuck to their plan and believed in it.

“Will Croke Park make a big difference for them? I don’t think so, but Cork have more recent experience of Croke Park — I think it might be slightly easier for Cork on that score — but will it be a game-changer? That’s entirely down to the team on the day and whether Limerick allow it to impact on them. And I don’t believe it will.

“This Limerick team is exceptionally well prepared and well balanced, and the hype is under control there — maybe avoiding the Munster final, and the hype that might have gone with a provincial final, has helped. They might have had a little bit of soul-searching, a reality check, with the Clare game before facing into the All-Ireland series.

“To me, they look like a team that the season isn’t too big for. They’re a perfect fit for the season.”

Q: Clare’s attack has caught the eye this year but will they be vulnerable to the Galway attack?

A: “I think this Sunday they’ll come up against the best set of forwards they’ve met this year. People should realise that you could put out an All-Star backline against Galway, top players all on top form — and they might still come out second best against that Galway forward line.

That goes for every backline facing them, Clare today and the winners of the Cork-Limerick game in a couple of weeks if Galway get through.

“Don’t forget, too, that Galway have plenty of quality to bring in from the bench compared to other counties, game-changing forwards — and Micheal (Donoghue, Galway manager) isn’t shy about using them. The competition for places is exceptional there, to the extent they could even bring Conor Cooney on as a sub. Can you imagine Conor’s mindset when he got an opportunity, then, to have an impact?

“That was a huge plus for Galway last year as well, when they were able to bring on players to make a difference in the All-Ireland final too. On top of the six they’ll start they have at least three more top forwards to bring in.

“Clare have it all to do tomorrow, the same as every county facing Galway.”