THIRD EYE - Turnovers key to Tipp’s victory
Harvard Professor Nancy F. Koehn believed that greater leaders are not born they are made by the experiences they gain while facing severe challenges. Last Sunday’s performance by the Tipperary hurling team saw players like Dan McCormack, Michael Breen, Jake Morris, and substitute Alan Flynn lead their team over the line against Clare in the Gaelic Grounds.
How do you measure Tipperary’s intensity
It may not have been free flowing hurling at times, but nobody can ever question this Tipperary’s team’s willingness to roll up their sleeves and get through hard work to get over the line in games.
Tipperary scored 2-15 from turning over Clare in possession with the Premier men turning over the Banner men on 46 occasions in the game. Key to that was the work of Ballina’s Michael Breen in the half forward and Borris-Ileigh’s Dan McCormack at midfield, who popped up with scores while also being a huge presence under the breaking ball off Clare’s long puckouts.
One aspect lost in the whole penalty decision controversy was what set up the scenario where Aidan McCarthy had to tackle Jake Morris and give away the penalty? The Nenagh man lost possession after excellent work by Aidan McCarthy to track back and turnover Morris. But the Tipperary forwards first instinct was to find work and he tracked down Paul Flanagan to use an excellent high hurl to get a block and turnover the ball.
Where the Tipp scores came from
Own Puck Out 0-7 (7)
Opposition Puck Out 1-0 (3)
Turnover Won 2-15 (21)
Throw-In 0-1 (0-1)
Use of Possession
Last weekend’s four championship games saw counties use different adaptions of the modern-day possession game and the Tipperary team once again showed how they are adjusting.
Tipperary retained possession on 65% of their deliveries that they hit inside the Clare’s 65-yard line. The big booming clearances that once came from inside the Tipperary 45-yard line were nowhere to be seen in the LIT Gaelic Grounds. It has been replaced by a more measured approach which suits the stickmen that Tipperary have in the team, and it also suits the current shape of the team during play which sees the Tipperary midfielders and half forwards dropping deep.
Long Puck-Out Problems Persist
Going in-to the game Liam Sheedy was missing Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher and Niall O’Meara, who over the last three seasons have been the main targets on the Tipperary puckout. Not only have the Lorrha and Kilruane natives been the top targets, but they have secured the most possession off the long puckout. Michael Breen stepped up into the role of target man and performed well as Tipperary secured possession on four of the seven occasions the puckout was hit on him.
However, the long puckout problems continues as they only retained possession from 10 of the 26 long puckouts hit by Barry Hogan. The focus before the Munster Final will be on how Tipperary can secure possession or even break-even on their long puck.
Although it was two years ago the 2019 Munster Hurling Final can provide significant learnings for the Tipperary management as on that day the long puck capitulated under the pressure of Limerick’s set up. In that game Tipperary retained possession on just five out of 29 long puckouts hit with Limerick commanding the breaking ball. This allowed Limerick to play their counter attacking game off the opposition’s long puck out and it provided them with a platform to attack the Tipperary half back line and it really exposed our full back line.
Borris-Ileigh’s performance on their long puckout against Ballygunner in the 2019 Munster Club Final may provide some inspiration to the Tipperary team. In that game, Borris took out the threat of Ballygunner’s counter attacking game off the opposition’s puck out and created all-out war on any breaking ball from James McCormack’s puckouts.
No better general in Sheedy to lead a team into war, no better tacticians than Dunne, O’Shea, Egan & Kelly to prepare a team for war and no better set of troops to have when going to war.