Traditional powers under pressure

KILLINAN END

Tipperary went to Cusack Park last summer for an away game with margin for error at zero. That background means we are entirely familiar with the road ahead. Walsh Park is a mini cauldron at the best of times and an unfamiliar venue, not somewhere you visit often, even for neutral fixtures. Leaving aside the venue, any team beaten in the first round comes under immediate pressure. Yet the broader context is worth bearing in mind: in all but one year since its introduction, one of Munster’s eventual qualifiers has failed to win their opening game. In all bar one year four points has been sufficient for qualification.

The game against Cork was curiously flat and, in many ways, an odd match from which to draw firm conclusions. It is easy to understand Liam Sheedy’s observation about Tipp lacking energy. Donal Óg Cusack may have dismissed that as a “new excuse” - which was surprising given that he usually champions fresh thinking – but Tipperary never established any real momentum. The second half display in particular was poor. In truth, however, Cork also took time to find their rhythm, and neither side performed anywhere near their ceiling. Cork, at least for now, have a degree of latitude, but with Limerick coming to town next weekend they may need it.

Despite Waterford's best efforts in Ennis, there was little in their display to generate real fear for our trip to Walsh Park. Aside from well-timed and clinically taken goals, they were outscored considerably. Fifteen of their twenty-five scores came from one player. That said, Tipp will need to bring a level of intent that was absent against Cork, as well as addressing their own inefficiencies in front of goal.

The repeated decision to deliver ball into the half-forward line, where Cork players were able to gather possession largely uncontested, proved costly. Whether you describe it traditionally or in more modern terms as the middle third, it was an area Tipp failed to control.

There were, however, some positives. Tipp showed flashes of good interplay, the defence held up reasonably well for long periods, and chances were created, even if not in sufficient volume. The performance had the look of a team short of match sharpness, which is understandable at this stage of the season. You would expect improvement from that first outing and it will certainly be necessary.

The match in Ennis was as helter-skelter a championship contest as one could expect — fast, open, and at times chaotic. But once the initial intensity is set aside, it may also have revealed underlying weaknesses in both teams. Clare looked vulnerable in defence, while Waterford appear to lack a consistent cutting edge up front. Those are issues that may become increasingly significant as the championship unfolds.

In Leinster, the manner of Kilkenny’s defeat became the dominant talking point. It raises two obvious questions. Firstly, whether Galway’s league form represented genuine and sustainable progress, and secondly, whether Kilkenny’s decline is more pronounced than previously thought.

It remains early in the season, and just as Munster could yet produce a situation where several teams are level on points next weekend, Leinster is unlikely to follow a straightforward path. Even so, Saturday evening in Nowlan Park, much like Tipp’s trip to Walsh Park, carries considerable weight. A win for Wexford would place them in a strong position to progress to the All-Ireland series, even if their route is rarely uncomplicated.

For Kilkenny, another defeat would significantly alter the landscape. Fixtures that might once have been considered free shots would take on knife-edge significance. In that sense, their upcoming game has many of the characteristics of a knockout encounter.

Following their National League defeat in Salthill, there had been an expectation that Kilkenny would respond with a performance of real intensity. Instead, they now find themselves once again relying on the hope of a “reaction”. Not unfamiliar territory, but not a position they will relish.

They are, of course, chasing a seventh consecutive Leinster title — an achievement that deserves some recognition. Galway and Wexford, in particular, present challenges that few counties could consistently overcome year after year. Sustaining that level of success is no small feat.

At present, however, extending that run looks increasingly difficult. That could change quickly; a single result can shift momentum and perception in equal measure. By next Saturday evening, Kilkenny may well have reasserted themselves. However, that is not the same as addressing more fundamental issues.

The question is not simply whether they can recover in the short term, but how significant weaknesses may prove over the course of the championship. It would once have seemed inconceivable that Kilkenny might fail to emerge from Leinster. Now, with a resurgent rival approaching and confidence dented, the picture is far less certain. The same uncertainty, in truth, applies to Tipp as they prepare for Walsh Park. Big performances from old traditions are needed.