Focus was on minutes rather than scores - Cahill
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary manager Liam Cahill said chasing down the large margin of victory needed against Kerry to qualify for the Munster Hurling League final, and to get another competitive game before the start of National League wasn’t their target going to Tralee on Sunday.
When the Tipperary team was announced, including nine players who featured in the All-Ireland Final last July, suggested they were going to try and chase down the 37 point victory needed.
“It was never part of our mindset coming down,” Cahill said.
“What was part of our mindset was to get game time into guys that haven’t seen action of late, those that had been on extended rests and are only back three weeks or more.
“It just happened that seven or eight of them were on the All-Ireland matchday squad.
“As you saw, some of them needed it and needed it badly as on Saturday week we have Galway coming in the National League. That is all part and parcel of our preparation.”
He added: “First and foremost, credit to Kerry on the day. They came really well organised, with a real spirited performance with no lack of quality either.
“At the end it was probably a couple of chances that let them down and could have made it more difficult than it has been today.
“It went down to the wire, difficult hurling in difficult conditions but it was the same for both sides, and Kerry probably got more out of it than we did.”
Tipperary brought just a panel of 22, reduced by one before the start with Eoghan Connolly replacing Craig Morgan, while Seamus Kennedy was sent into the fray earlier than anticipated after twelve minutes after Brian McGrath was forced off with an ankle injury. It highlighted the difficulty there is in negotiating this pre-national league period Cahill said.
“I said it from the start of January, it was going to be a difficult month to navigate and balance,” he continued.
“That is the way the calendar and schedule is so we have to be careful always with our mindset being making sure our players are protected in relation to the workload that is there if you are involved colleges and trying to train with ourselves as well.”
In terms of the value of the pre-season competitions which have returned this year, possibly for one year only, whereas twelve months ago, Tipperary were able to arrange their own schedule ahead of the start of the National League, Cahill said: “It’s a difficult one. It all depends on where you are in your development and where your mindset is as a manager.
“Last year it was ideal because it allowed us to go aggressively after the areas we wanted to and pick and choose when we wanted to play these games. Obviously, the weather in January you can’t be guaranteed anything.
“But again, these games are organised, good competitive games, they are in the calendar early so it gives us a chance to get organised if you are in a position to be advanced in the development of your squad.
“To be honest, I am on the fence. This year probably isn’t ideal from where we are coming from but they are the cards that are dealt and we are happy to see out the league and get ready for the National League.”