Transitioning from defence into attack remains Achilles heel

This was a game Tipperary could have taken something from but in the end didn’t deserve to!

By Shane Brophy

The one aspect manager Colm Bonnar can be happy with from the three league outings so far has been the spirit shown, an important characteristic in any team with aspirations of winning silverware.

While Tipp came up short on Saturday evening at a blustery Semple Stadium, they threw the kitchen sink at Dublin in the final thirteen minutes of the game in which they held the visitors scoreless while managing four of their own. They had many more chances, both from play and long range frees, to have snatched at least a draw, and it was almost a win as deep in injury time a ball broke to the unmarked Jason Forde in the square, but his touch let him down at the wrong moment and a likely match-winning goal went abegging.

It was a helter-skelter finish which in many ways was a microcosm of Tipperary’s ultimate defeat on the evening. For much of the first hour, Dublin were the more composed and played to a more discernible gameplan. For Tipperary, you struggled to know what they were trying to do. Admittedly, they are going through a learning phase in terms of adapting their style of play to become more comfortable playing with and dealing with the more possession orientated style of hurling that is the current trend at inter-county level.

In terms of the defensive side, 2-16 isn’t a huge score to concede in the modern game, although Dublin did hit twelve wides, ten in the opening half. The one concern was the pace that Dublin would bring to the game and how Tipp’s inside backs would cope and for long spells they were under pressure. There was a clear plan to what Dublin wanted to do, and both goals came from balls into the corner where when Tipp defenders were turned, they struggled to get back.

In fairness, it was a tough ask to have a starting full back line of Eoghan Connolly and Brian McGrath, both making their first starts in the league, along with Craig Morgan, a relative novice himself, coming in for the sick Cathal Barrett. There isn’t a lot of experience there and Dublin benefitted from that, with Aidan Mellett and Fergal Whitely offering willing runners into the corners.

Connolly in particular struggled, he doesn’t have the footwork at the moment to play corner back, the same issue with Brian McGrath who was left for dead for Ronan Hayes’ second goal which proved to be the decisive score in the 50th minute.

McGrath was outstanding in the 2018 All-Ireland Under 21 Final in the position but had his difficulties in that campaign, particularly in the Munster Final when left isolated against pacey forwards. He did well on breaking ball, and one wonders would he be better as Tipperary’s sweeper in such games as he is such a fine reader of the game and in possession, would tend to do the right thing with it.

It was from here up that Tipperary have a lot of work to do. Scoring just nine points from play is an indication they struggled to work clear-cut scoring opportunities.

There is still a disconnect between the half-backs/midfield, and the inside forwards in particular of where to play the ball. When Tipp did it right, they got some superb scores, particularly from Jake Morris who continued his strong start to the league with another three-point haul but they need to get him on the ball more, with the majority of his best work done in the half forward line.

Paul Flynn was a willing runner into space and a good ball-winner but needs support of runners from deep to come off the shoulder and the fact that Tipp didn’t create a decent goal chance on the evening was largely due to not having enough players running at the Dublin rear-guard.

With Paddy Smyth setting up as the Dublin sweeper, in front of a full back line of Andrew Dunphy, Eoghan O’Donnell and Cian O’Callaghan, three of the best and most physical defenders in the game, scoring through that area was going to be difficult and it was only inside the last ten minutes that Tipperary brought more urgency to the play, helped in particular by the arrival of Noel McGrath and Conor Bowe. McGrath, in particular, could be so important in how Tipperary navigate their way in turning defence into attack with quality ball.

Apart from Robert Byrne who had a strong first half and Jake Morris, there were few Tipperary players who shone, so in some ways to be so close to a Dublin side who were much closer to full strength, missing just Alan Nolan and Liam Rushe from their best fifteen, can be seen as a moral victory of sorts, but that doesn’t wash in this county.

Apart from Cathal Barrett, Ronan Maher, Jason Forde and Jake Morris, you couldn’t confidently predict who is on Tipperary’s best starting fifteen at the moment and coming towards the end of the league that is a concern.

Manager Colm Bonnar doesn’t appear overly worried about whether Tipperary progress beyond the group stage of the league, stating the priority is about looking at players and with 29 of the panel having tasted some game time so far, he is a man of his word with just Patrick Maher, John Meagher, Cian Darcy and Enda Heffernan still to play a minute as yet.

However, a shape needs to come visible soon, but whether it will start to evolve against Waterford next Sunday remains to be seen as the championship opener between the sides is now fast emerging on the horizon. You sense this game is more important for Tipperary but Deise bos Liam Cahill will want to lay down a marker.