What can be learned from Round-Robin’s past?

By Shane Brophy

Going into the seventh iteration of the round-robin format in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship which began in 2018 (2020 & 2021 were straight knockout due to Covid), it is still a relatively small sample size as regards what can be learned of what is needed to progress to stay alive in the race for the All-Ireland Series.

Best Record

Overall, in the six campaigns so date, despite Limerick having won five provincial championships in a row, albeit four have been in the round-robin format, they don’t have the best record. That belongs to Clare who have amassing 15 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses (32 points) from their 24 games (not including provincial finals).

Limerick (31 points) have suffered the fewest losses with just 6, recording three draws and 14 wins, showing just how hard they have been challenged in the province.

Cork is the next best with 11 wins, 4 draws and 9 losses (26 points) while Tipp have recorded just 7 wins, 4 draws and 13 losses (18 points), with Waterford having the poorest record with just 4 wins, one draw and 19 losses (9 points) but five of those points have been earned against Tipperary.

Limerick are the only county that have finished in the top 3 in all six round-robin championships while Clare and Cork have missed out on just two occasions each with Tipperary emerging in 2019, 2023 & 2025, while Waterford still have to finish in the top three.

Good Start

In three of the four years that Clare have progressed to the next phase, they recovered from losing their first-round games to Cork in 2018, Tipp in 2023 and Limerick in 2024, going onto win their next three matches in each campaign to finish top of the table and progress to a Munster final.

On two occasions, Cork is the only team to have lost their first two games and still finish in the top 3. In 2022, they lost at home to Limerick and Clare but subsequent wins away to Waterford and Tipperary were enough to see them emerge in third place in the table while in 2024, they started off with losses to Waterford and Clare but wins over Limerick and Tipperary saw them finish third and they ended up reaching the All-Ireland Final, losing in extra time to Clare.

Tipperary is the only team to have won all four games in a round-robin campaign in 2019, but it counted for little as they were beaten in the Munster Final by Limerick, recovering to win the All-Ireland.

Bye in round 1

There is always one team not in action on a given weekend, and this year it is Limerick’s turn to be the odd team out on the opening weekend.

From the round-robin campaigns so far, teams coming off the bye in the opening round have a record of three wins and three losses, Waterford, Limerick and Tipperary losing in 2018, 2019 & 2024 with Clare, Cork, and Waterford winning their first games in 2022, 2023 & 2025.

Home Advantage

Limerick have the best record in terms of using the TUS Gaelic Grounds to their advantage having won 9 and drawn one of their 12 home games to date, their only losses against Cork in 2019, while last year’s defeat to Clare was a dead-rubber.

Clare has the next best home record with 7 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses at Cusack Park, all those losses at the hands of Tipperary whose record at home to the Banner is the exact reverse with defeats in 2018, 2022 & 2024.

The fact that all counties are so familiar with FBD Semple Stadium means Tipperary has no true home advantage and it shows in their record where they have recorded just 3 wins from 12 home games, two in 2019 along with Waterford last year. Tipp have also drawn three times at home, and losing on six occasions.

In Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork has a record of 6 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses while this is just the fifth campaign in which Waterford have a true home advantage following the refurbishment of Walsh Park, after playing all their games in 2018 & 2019 away from home. However, home advantage has yielded just three wins, but all have been in their first home games, which is a warning to Tipp ahead of the April 26th clash.

Top 3

So far, a minimum of four points is needed to have a chance of finishing at least in third place. Limerick finished in that position with five points in 2018 with Cork progressing with four points on three occasions in 2019, 2022 & 2024, the first one they pipped Clare on score difference, while in 2023 Tipp finished in third place on four points while last year Tipp repeated Limerick’s feat of 2018 by finishing in third place before going on to win the All-Ireland title.