A response in Waterford is now a must

Tipperary v Limerick Match Analysis

By Noel Dundon

The Tipperary Supporters Club may have gone to the dogs on Saturday evening in Thurles Greyhound Stadium, but across the road in FBD Semple Stadium, it was the Tipp hurlers who truly struggled to find their bite.

In a round four National Hurling League clash that promised intrigue, passion and the age old rivalry with Limerick, the Premier County never managed to break from the traps. Instead, they found themselves swallowed whole by a rampant Treaty machine, consigned to a fifteen point defeat that felt every bit as bruising as the scoreline suggests.

It was a night that stretched long and painful for Tipperary hearts. The result stung, yes—but the manner of it, the tone of it, the storyline that unfolded across the hallowed sod, cut far deeper than a mere league loss. This was Semple Stadium, Fortress Semple, the theatre where Tipp teams of old have built legends and broken invaders.

But, on this cold February night, the walls felt thin, the fortress breached with alarming ease. Limerick floated, flicked, and danced across the turf as though they were holding an open training session in their own backyard. Every pass found a green jersey; every run seemed timed to perfection. Tipp, by contrast, huffed and puffed, chasing shadows that never slowed, never tired, never allowed themselves to be caught.

And the truth is, while Tipperary have suffered their share of hardship during the John Kiely era, this was an evening many supporters approached with a quiet, hopeful belief that maybe—just maybe—the stars might slip into alignment. Limerick had already stumbled once against Waterford, rediscovered their rhythm against Kilkenny, and then strode into Thurles with a point to prove. Tipp supporters dared to dream of a rare ambush, a spark, a shock to ignite their season. Those dreams were extinguished almost as soon as they were formed. Long before the stadium emptied into the cold night air, any thought of toppling the visitors had drifted away, like steam from a cuppa left too long on a winter windowsill.

Yet, for all the first half woes, one truth must be acknowledged: Tipperary could—should—have rattled the net not once, not twice, but three times. A missed penalty that sucked the oxygen out of the stands; a Sean Kenneally rocket that thundered against the upright with enough force to shake the foundations of the Killinan End; and a magnificent save from Nickie Quaid to deny Darragh Stakelum. Each moment a lifeline. Each lifeline spurned. Tipp created the chaos required to unsettle the Limerick defence—but the final touch was missing, and the green flag remained folded away for the evening.

The scoreboard at the end read fifteen points between the sides, but nobody with sense or fairness would declare Tipperary a fifteen point inferior outfit. The red card for Willie Connors that reduced them to fourteen men for the entire second half did nothing to help the cause. But raw numbers don’t tell the fuller story: the touch was off, the energy flat, the application sporadic, the fire strangely muted. The intangible spark that defines great Tipp performances simply did not flicker.

Still, this is not yet an alarm bell moment. The season remains young. Management will know a recalibration is required—nothing radical, but something meaningful. Lessons from 2024 linger like smoke; standards slipped then, and the group has sworn not to allow history to repeat itself in 2026, not when they stand as defending All Ireland champions with a target on their back and a reputation to uphold.

Context matters, too. Limerick were far closer to championship mode, fielding something very near their strongest fifteen. Tipp were not. There is cavalry coming. Ronan Maher should return for the Waterford game, along with Robert Doyle and Michael Breen if fitness allows. Jason Forde’s suspension has run its course and he will rejoin the ranks. The only step backwards will be the absence of Willie Connors, whose red card early in the second half leaves a gap that will need filling with Alan Tynan’s enforced injury absence.

But what gnaws at Tipp folk—what kept conversations buzzing in cars and pubs afterward—is the manner in which Limerick claimed this victory. It was not new. It was not surprising. It was the same ruthless blueprint they have used for a decade, total domination of the middle third. With Tipp conceding puckouts, Limerick constructed their attacks from deep with the composure and confidence of a team long accustomed to dictating terms. Overlaps on the wings, cross-field switches that cut through defensive lines, runners arriving in waves—Tipp were left scrambling, outnumbered, and exposed. The delivery into Gillane, O’Brien and Casey was laser guided, and the trio helped themselves to 0 13 from play. A full forward line masterclass. Tipp’s own return, minus the evergreen Noel McGrath, amounted to a meagre two points from play from the starting three.

After blasting five goals past Offaly earlier in the league, Tipp have now drawn blanks in back to back games. Against Cork, chances simply weren’t created, but at least against Limerick the opportunities came—even if the net never rippled. Management will take some solace in that. Fixing execution is far easier than fixing creation.

Some will label this a wake up call. Others, a jolt to the system. But the truest reading is this; Tipperary delivered an uncharacteristic performance; one they will not accept as their standard. And when they turn up in Waterford next, you can be sure the Premier will take the field with sharpened instincts, renewed hunger, and a burning desire to remind hurling pundits exactly who they are – the All-Ireland champions.