Tipp look to produce another Rebel ambush
GAA: Munster Senior Football Championship Semi-Final Preview
By Stephen Barry
TIPPERARY v CORK
FBD Semple Stadium
Saturday, 25th April
Throw-in @ 2.00pm (E.T.)
Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford)
Seán O’Connor maintains that the Munster Championship still holds a special resonance for the Tipperary footballers ahead of Saturday’s semi-final against Cork.
Manager Niall Fitzgerald has designated the National League and Tailteann Cup as their key targets for the first year of his Premier project. Yet, memories of Tipp’s 2020 provincial triumph keep the fire burning in this group.
Given the player turnover since then, just five of the current panel were involved on that November afternoon. Jimmy Feehan and Steven O’Brien started, Paudie Feehan and Emmet Moloney came off the bench, and O’Connor was an unused substitute enjoying his rookie year on the squad.
When asked if the province remains important to this Tipp team, O’Connor replies: “It is, big time. Any Munster Championship game, we know the history of it, and it wasn't too long ago that we'd won it.
“When you see teams like that winning it, the hunger and the fire burns for championship games like this.
“Now, we know we're a good bit off that yet, but we're building to try and get back towards those heights again. Any championship game you play in, in any of the championships, Munster Championship or Tailteann Cup, you want to win.
“You still have fellas there who were a big part of that. Jimmy, Steven, Paudie, Emmet, who were on that team who reached those heights.
“You've a good group of young fellas there who get to look up to those sort of fellas and see the way they prepare, the way they train and all that. They set a great example for the rest of the group. It’s great for those lads to have fellas like that around.”
Tipp are building with a young core of players. Of the starting team that defeated Waterford, thirteen have less than three years of senior experience. Five of those, plus two subs, made their championship debuts that day.
O’Connor points to the significance of those players tasting their first championship win.
“We've had a lot of turnover over the last two or three years, but we have a good group of young fellas there now.
“Hopefully, we can keep them all together because we've had a good league campaign this year. We've managed to build on last year's campaign and take another step forward.
“Keeping the core group of fellas together now is the aim and I think we'll be able to do that, so that's a positive.”
The Clonmel Commercials clubman is familiar with plenty of the current Cork squad, having won a Sigerson Cup alongside the likes of Cathail and Daniel O’Mahony, Maurice Shanley, and Mark Cronin.
O’Connor, who finished as the second-highest scorer across all four divisions in the National League, will square off with Daniel O’Mahony on the edge of the square at FBD Semple Stadium.
He has been impressed with the Leesiders’ form this spring, earning promotion to Division 1 for the first time in a decade. O’Connor also knows the task at hand following their 1-26 to 0-10 loss to a strong Rebel selection in the McGrath Cup.
“They're going very well, so it's a great challenge to have. It's a great barometer for us to see how far we've come.
“We played them in the McGrath Cup earlier in the year and we got beaten well, but listen, it's a great chance to see how much we've improved and test ourselves against some of the best players.“It'll be great for the group. You're only going to know how well you're going once you test yourself against the best. And Cork, a Division 1 team, are one of the best now.
“It'll be a great occasion. A first Munster semi-final for a lot of fellas here, so we'll put the heads down now and give it a right rattle.”