Patience is the virtue for Bonnar and Tipp at the moment

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary manager Colm Bonnar displayed the patience that will be required as this new team develops.

In selecting the same starting fifteen from the win over Laois, it wasn’t so much a reward for the victory, but allowing the same players a chance to perform in better conditions to show their true worth and from that point of view it was a worthwhile approach.

“We kept faith with the same team that played against Laois. We felt it was very important they continued their development, some of the players,” he explained.

“At the end of the day, going in at six points up at half-time, I think we were in a good position but Kilkenny being Kilkenny came back. Within ten minutes I think they were nearly back to level, but our lads showed great character and the rest of the game after that was just a ding-dong battle. We had goal chances, they had goal chances and happy to be on the right side of a point game.”

Of the new players looking to force their way into the championship reckoning, Craig Morgan had another solid outing but found Billy Ryan a powerful challenge, while Dillon Quirke was the pick of the bunch, with a storming second half in particular.

“These players we're looking forward, the likes of Dillon Quirke and all these fellas, they want to play these big games,” Bonnar added.

“They want to show they've something to offer Tipperary, they've something to bring.

“We have 33 very dedicated lads and every time I announce the team, there's a lot of very disappointed (players). You saw the quality of some of the players we were bringing in there as well into the game.

“We're building. It's about building a team and that's what we're doing. We're eight weeks away from championship. As nice as it is to win, we need to get players onto the field, we need to see what they're about, let them experience a match like today and keep building for the first round of championship.”

The first half was a frustrating affair with both teams struggling to get into a rhythm with the use of the handpass letting both teams down on numerous occasions, but Bonnar was happy what his side didn’t become frustrated, particularly when aiming to build up a lead with a strong wing behind them.

“We want them to have that courage,” he said.

“There was a couple of occasions where we were playing the ball out and doing this, but it takes a lot of bravery for a player to do that and we’ll always commend them on doing the right thing rather than if a score or something came off it, because it’s not easy when you have people looking in at you like that.

“There were a lot of brave decisions taken there in terms of what players were doing, and how we are trying to develop a game plan. Yeah, look, we are trying to play the ball out, sometimes we are trying to transition it and sometimes we are going long so it’s a mix and match to see what suits us best.

He added: “I have to say I liked the style that I saw there in terms of what the players were trying to do. Yeah, there were occasions where we went out of the game big time and Kilkenny came at us and scored four, five or six points on the trot and that’s something we’ll have to look at and see if we can stop a team.

“But at this level you are not going to stop the likes of your Limericks or Kilkenny’s, or Waterford’s and you are not going to own the game, so they are always going to have a dominant period. But it’s the response that’s in you, and our response was very positive.”

With two wins from two, Tipperary go into the first mini-break before resuming with another home game, this time against Dublin on Saturday week with Bonnar optimistic he will be able to field from a full deck with the colleges season completed by then, and the last of the returning players up to full speed in training.

“Yeah, they’re all in training for the last three weeks altogether,” he said of the Loughmore/Castleiney and Thurles Sarsfields contingent.

“There’s big names that are there with huge experience. We’re going to use that, but they have been so commendable, driving the young lads on. They know a lot of the young lads would have sat on the line for the number of few years and didn’t play, so they don’t mind contributing to that. We want to see everybody hurling well for Tipp.”

He added: “The boys are going really hard at training and the intensity levels are huge. As I said, I can’t ask for anymore, and they’re doing the gym sessions. There’s nothing more they can actually give us. And we’ll keep doing what we’re doing.

“We’ll have to move it on a bit because that’s the second day we’re after putting out the same team, so we’ll change it up a bit because there’s other players going as well in training. As a management team, we have to make a few hard calls, but the bunch of lads there are tight and becoming more of as team as the games go by.”