Tipperary's third quarter death zone the enemy ahead of latest Limerick tussle 

THIRD QUARTER WOES: Gearoid Hegarty, Cathal O'Neill and Darragh O'Donovan with Seamus Kennedy of Tipperary. Pic: James Crombie, Inpho

Death, taxes and Tipperary’s second-half woes against Limerick.

As almost sure as you can be that they will be ahead at half-time (they have been in all but two of their last eight meetings and trailed once), it’s even more certain they will lose the second half to Limerick.

Going back to their Munster final meeting five years ago, so much of Tipperary’s failure to win any of the counties’ eight league and championship clashes can be distilled to those second halves, seven of which they scored less than Limerick.

Significantly less, as it happens. In seven matches, they have been defeated in second halves by an accumulative 58 points in contrast to the 29-point aggregate advantage they have had over Limerick in first halves since 2020.

Dig a bit deeper and it becomes clear that Tipperary’s death zone is the third quarter where they have been a collected 29 points worse than Limerick. Just twice since this unbeaten streak of Limerick’s began against them in the 2019 Munster final have they stopped the All-Ireland champions’ early second-half march and only once beaten them in that period.

Tipperary won’t need to be told twice what is required on Sunday. But as selector TJ Ryan says knowing their system is one thing but “knowing the system but to break down the system is another.” 

2019 Munster SHC final, lost 2-14 to 2-26, TUS Gaelic Grounds. Second half: Lost 1-5 to 1-15. Third quarter: Lost 1-2 to 0-7.

Three points for the last 21 minutes was an abysmal return and there had been portents of Tipperary’s demise early in the second half. John McGrath’s goal squared the game in the 44th minute but Limerick outscored Liam Sheedy’s side 0-5 to 0-1 over the next nine minutes and then Kyle Hayes batted Limerick’s second goal.

2020 Division 1A Round 1, lost 0-18 to 2-14, FBD Semple Stadium. Second half: Lost 0-5 to 2-10. Third quarter: Lost 0-2 to 1-6.

This wasn’t going to be the last time Limerick turned around a 10-point deficit on their neighbours. As they do, Limerick strung together a hat-trick of points before William O’Donoghue set up Aaron Gillane for a goal to bring Limerick within a score. The momentum sustained them to full-time.

2021 Division 1A Round 1, drew 0-20 to 0-20, TUS Gaelic Grounds. Second half: Drew 0-8 apiece. Third quarter: Won 0-7 to 0-2.

The outlier but so much of it had to do with Limerick’s indiscipline as Jason Forde’s placed balls were the primary reason for that surge before Limerick’s bench rescued a result.

2021 Munster SHC final, lost 3-21 to 2-29, Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Second half: Lost 1-5 to 2-17. Third quarter: Lost 0-1 to 1-9.

If Tipperary assaulted Limerick to go 10 points up after the first half, Limerick subjected their opponents to battery in the second. It was propelled by a barrage of early scores. Limerick were eight behind in the 41st minute but with the aid of Seamus Flanagan’s goal were level 11 minutes later. Tipperary’s only score in the third quarter was a Dan McCormack point.

2022 Munster SHC Round 4, lost 0-23 to 3-21, TUS Gaelic Grounds. Second half: Lost 0-9 to 2-12. Third quarter: Drew 0-5 apiece.

Coming in on the back of two defeats and looking doomed, Tipperary weren’t expected to raise much of a gallop. However, with their championship existence on the line they were good value for their half-time lead of two points following a shaky start. They led up to the 62nd minute before goals by Conor Boylan and Gillane put Limerick out of sight.

2023 Division 1 semi-final, lost 0-25 to 1-28, TUS Gaelic Grounds. Second half: Lost 0-9 to 1-16. Third quarter: Lost 0-3 to 0-9.

Limerick scored more in the final quarter but it was once again after the resumption that they began to turn the screw. Tipperary had been four points to the good going into the dressing rooms but Diarmaid Byrnes put Limerick level nine minutes into the second half.

2023 Munster SHC Round 3, drew 0-25 to 0-25, FBD Semple Stadium. Second half: Lost 0-10 to 0-13. Third quarter: Lost 0-4 to 0-5.

Tipperary took plenty of heart from subduing Limerick in this third quarter and it was no surprise the game finished a draw when the teams had been level seven times in the second half. When Limerick had been marginally the poorer, the only shock was it took a John McGrath free to earn Tipperary a point.

2024 Division 1B Round 4, lost 3-16 to 0-26, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Second half: Lost 2-9 to 0-17. Third quarter: Lost 0-4 to 0-6.

At one stage in the first half, Tipperary led by five but were beginning to be reeled in by the break and that didn’t arrest Limerick’s ascent as they had restored parity by the 44th minute. Seamus Kennedy’s knee injury early in the second half did appear to affect Tipperary but it was more of the same as only their against-the-run-of-play goals gave the scoreboard some respectability.