The circus has certainly moved on since the counties met a year ago in the same fixture. What had been flagged as a rehearsal for September’s All-Ireland final in Croke Park turned out instead to be a premonition of an early-July qualifier back in Nowlan Park.
There are so many issues at stake for the counties in this match that you might be forgiven for thinking the destiny of the Allianz Hurling League title would be towards the back of the queue. But the title has had a strongly predictive function for both counties in the past decade or so.
Kilkenny have added an All-Ireland to the league title a staggering five times in the past 12 years to go with the other three they won along the way. Last year was only the second time in 19 years that they won a league and failed to add the Liam MacCarthy.
Tipperary’s success rate hasn’t been in that category but they did a double themselves in 2001 and winning the league in 2008 was the first step towards the All-Ireland two years later, the pinnacle of three gradually improving championship seasons.
In that context, tomorrow’s trophy will be an important reassurance for whoever wins.
Tipperary are, however, in greater need of that reassurance after a mixed league campaign, but like the Dublin footballers they have so far capitalised on being just one opposition error from not making the play-off stages at all, which was a reflection of an unconvincing series of displays.
The momentum that has kicked in since beating Dublin by the minimum required to advance to the quarter-finals has been partly confidence but partly deployment of personnel.
Spine restored
In a defence likely to feature – when named today – four of the 2010 All-Ireland winners, manager Eamon O'Shea has also restored the spine of that unit to the same positions with Pádraic Maher and Brendan Maher at full back and centre back. After a campaign of leaking like a gunned-down colander, the backs looked less welcoming in the semi-final against Clare.
The only change speculated in the team is that Gearóid Ryan will come in for Denis Maher, as injury clouds over Niall O’Meara and Patrick Maher have apparently dispersed.
One way or the other, the attack will carry the most significant burden because the poverty of the performance up front against Kilkenny last July is what sank Tipperary.
They will have to be able to do what they have often struggled to do against Brian Cody’s team since beating them in the 2010 All-Ireland: win ball and pose a threat with that possession.
Séamus Callanan’s career hasn’t maintained its early trajectory and his good recent performances must be maintained and even raised tomorrow against opposition that has defined Tipp – and rarely in a flattering light – over the past six seasons. Nor is it entirely in the past, as they lost a 10-point lead against Kilkenny back in February.
Kilkenny haven’t been sailing serenely on either, with team selections unusually varied during the regulation league matches and like their opponents, they are likely to have changed half of the team since last summer.
But they have been more settled than Tipp, with return of senior players allowing a steadier context for newcomers like Brian Kennedy at corner back and Pádraig Walsh at wing back (although he’s listed to play centrefield tomorrow).
Tipperary need a strong performance. They’re back on home soil – having played the last three matches against Kilkenny in Nowlan Park – scene of their last win in this fixture over two years ago.
Most of all they need to win. You don’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.
