Another short summer, another long winter for ousted champions Tipperary

Tipperary’s fallen heroes were backslapped and commiserated by the extended panel as they returned to their dressing room after defeat to Clare. Outside of that bubble, the post mortem is going to be harsh

ON THE SLIDE: Clare's talisman Shane O'Donnell losing his footing in the tackle with Bryan O'Mara of Tipperary but it was the Banner who were sure-footed and looking upwards after beating the defending All-Ireland champions in their back yard at FBD Semple Stadium. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Munster SHC: Tipperary 0-17 Clare 1-25

After last year’s All-Ireland success, a couple of Tipperary’s players spoke of being embarrassed to be seen in public following their failure to win a game in the 2024 Munster SHC.

Jake Morris touched on feeling almost like an imposter at the minors’ victorious All-Ireland final later that year. Eoghan Connolly admitted he wanted to keep a low profile. “You were afraid to walk down the town to get a coffee. You were walking with your head down looking at your shoes.” 

It conjured up the image from the song And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda that Ger Loughnane used to make his point to his pioneering Clare team in 1995: “As they carried us down the gangway/Nobody cheered, they just stood there and stared/Then they turned all their face away.” Loughnane recalled: “I said (to the players) ‘That’s what has happened to you the last two years but I tell you this year and from now on it will never happen again’.” 

Tipperary’s fallen heroes were backslapped and commiserated by the extended panel as they returned to their dressing room on Saturday. But outside that bubble, the post mortem is going to be harsh. Undoubtedly, they have credit in the bank but effectively exiting the championship without a whimper it could feel like 2024 all over again.

In his address to Clare’s 2024 All-Ireland winners at their medal presentation in Dromoland Castle in January 2025, Loughnane warned about “the disease of success”. It was timely given Clare found the yoke of defending the Liam MacCarthy Cup just as burdensome as Tipperary.

It had been Tipperary who were the catalyst for Clare to dream it all up again. Moments after Tipp’s victory over Cork last July, Clare’s WhatsApp group of their opponents was abuzz with activity. Nobody was retiring.

For as difficult as they have found Tipperary at home, Clare have had their number in Thurles. If Tipperary could go all the way, then so could Clare again.

Clare’s 100% record against the hosts in FBD Semple Stadium in the round-robin era (four wins) was maintained with ease on Saturday. Their intensity, largely absent against Limerick in Ennis 13 days earlier, was too much for a limp Tipperary to handle. They progress to the All-Ireland series with genuine optimism.

BALANCE: Clare powerhouse John Conlon controls the sliotar under pressure from Tipperary's Jason Forde in Saturday's Munster SHC rd 4 clash in FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles. Pic: John Sheridan/Sportsfile

For a side who had conceded six goals in their previous two games, they were only troubled here by an instant John McGrath ground-stroke and Oisín O’Donoghue put the follow-up shot just wide.

The return of John Conlon and David McInerney shored up the defence, while Diarmuid Stritch was a revelation around the middle, scoring six points. He was making his first SHC start and Seán Rynne, who had an iffy day against Limerick, was excellent and picked off four points.

What will hurt Liam Cahill most is that Tipperary weren’t able to live with the physicality Clare brought to the game. “All our metrics, all our numbers are exactly where they need to be versus where they were this time last year,” he remarked.

“It's about bringing it to the big arena on the day and being prepared to put your body on the line. Today, physically, Clare really dominated. The swarm tackle, Clare were there in numbers. How many times did you see our guys trying to reach out to get a high-hand passing forward group of players all around them? They were hunting in packs. They smelled blood and they went after it.” 

Brian Lohan would have demanded a response to that shoddy showing in Ennis. Ian Galvin’s goal in the first minute of the second half stretched their advantage to nine. Willie Connors’ red card in the 51st minute for a second yellow card effectively ended the game and the margin was 13 points close to the end.

Tipperary plotted a lot of their own downfall – any other day Galvin’s five wides would have cost a team – but Clare were purposeful. “There is a good attitude in the group, great work-rate,” said Lohan. “It is a really positive group we are dealing with and they work very hard.

“We just didn’t show any of that against Limerick, none of it. And that was the most disappointing part of it. There was an awful lot at stake for us and we needed a response. Our supporters needed a response and we got that.” 

Ahead of facing Cork this Sunday, what will worry Lohan most are the injuries to Mark Rodgers, Ryan Taylor, Tony Kelly and John Conlon.

Meanwhile, Tipperary’s home record in the group stages of the Munster SHC now drops to a woeful 21% (three wins from 12) and their cycle of finishing in the province’s bottom two every second year continues.

There may not be a more opportunistic team than they: two All-Ireland titles in three of the seven seasons they have emerged from Munster is the very definition of striking while the iron is hot.

But another long summer and winter of discontent awaits. “Unfortunately, this particular group have a history of doing this and we know that and we try to address it,” said Cahill of their under-performers. “We go about it really well on the hurling field and the training field and hope that we bring it to the match day.

“When we start hurling in fear with not being able to hurl that ball out and putting our hand out looking for it and making sure that we're giving options to the men and the ball, we're a really moderate team.”

Scorers for Tipperary: J. Morris (0-4); J. Forde (1 sideline), D. McCarthy (frees), E. Connolly (2 frees) (0-3 each); A. Tynan, W. Connors, C. Stakelum, S. Tobin (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clare: D. Stritch (0-6); T. Kelly (0-5, 4 frees); I. Galvin (1-2); S. Rynne, P. Duggan (2 sidelines, 1 free) (0-4 each); C. Malone (0-2); R. Taylor, N. O’Farrell (0-1 each).

TIPPERARY: R. Shelly; M. Breen, B. O’Mara, R. Maher (c); E. Connolly, R. Doyle, C. Morgan; W. Connors, A. Tynan; J. Morris, A. Ormond, O. O’Donoghue; D. McCarthy, J. McGrath, J. Forde.

Subs for Tipperary: D. Stakelum for A. Ormond (h-t); C. Stakelum for M. Breen (42); S. O’Farrell for A. Tynan (48); S. Tobin for D. McCarthy (51); N. McGrath for J. Forde (57); K. Ryan for O. O’Donoghue (temp, 66-ft).

Red card: W. Connors (second yellow, 51).

CLARE: E. Quilligan; A. Hogan, D. McInerney, D. Lohan; D. Ryan, J. Conlon, N. O’Farrell; R. Taylor, D. Stritch; C. Malone, T. Kelly (c), S. Rynne; P. Duggan, S. O’Donnell, M. Rodgers.

Subs for Clare: D. McInerney for M. Rodgers (temp, 8-13); I. Galvin for M. Rodgers (inj 26); D. Reidy for R. Taylor (inj 45); D. Fitzgerald for T. Kelly (57); C. Cleary for S. Rynne (62); S. Meehan for S. O’Donnell (65).

Referee: T. Walsh (Waterford).