AFTER success for the Cork hurlers in Thurles last Sunday, the Cork footballers will hope to follow suit this Saturday afternoon in the Munster semi-final.

We mentioned last week that the two sides have not faced off in the provincial championship since November of 2020 when Tipperary deservedly annexed their first Munster senior football title since 1935, their 10th overall.

Almost unbelievably, not a single player who started that final against Cork played the first round against Waterford two weeks ago. Paudie Feehan came on as a sub in 2020 and started last time out, while Steven O’Brien missed out through injury. All the remaining players who claimed that famous success for Tipperary have either retired, left the panel for other reasons or are not currently being selected. That is an incredible turnover in five and a half years.

For comparison, 10 players who featured for Cork that day are on the current Rebels panel. That 10 does include the injured Kevin O’Donovan and currently out of favour Cathail O’Mahony, but Micheal Aodh Martin, Maurice Shanley, Sean Meehan, Matty Taylor, Ian Maguire, Colm O’Callaghan, Ruairi Deane and Brian Hurley all started that game.

Without knowing the details of why there would be so many departures, and there would be some natural attrition with some of the senior players, one would be inclined to speculate, considering Limerick has a similar high turnover, that the commitment required for players in the lower divisions makes it difficult to sustain in the long term. Those are considerations and worries for another day, however, and we must focus on Saturday first and foremost.

The high turnover rate in their squad means it’s not a Tipperary team we are overly familiar with, with the aforementioned O’Brien and Sean O’Connor up front being among their star turns. As we did with Limerick, let’s see if we can find some clues about their current standing from their league form and their opening outing against Waterford.

The Premier footballers finished fifth in Division 4, but were only a solitary point from second place, part of a three-way tie with Wicklow and Antrim behind Longford and eventual winners Carlow. Tipp’s results were a veritable mixed bag, with wins against Antrim, Leitrim and Waterford, draws with London and Longford but defeats against Carlow and Wicklow. That could be described as a respectable league performance, but the calibre of opposition is nowhere near what Cork faced in Division 2.

Tipp had dispatched Waterford with some ease in the last round of the league with a 13-point victory in Thurles. However, it was much closer in Dungarvan two weeks ago. A strong wind, as there often is in Fraher Field, had an effect on proceedings and main scorer O’Connor struck six second-half points to help his side to an eventual five-point win. Manager Niall Fitzgerald gave debuts to five players, namely Charlie King, Joe Higgins, Killian Butler, Shane Garland and Eoin Craddock.

With not a lot to go on, we will focus more on ourselves, because the reality is that Tipp are not as strong as the team that reached All-Ireland semi-finals in 2016 and 2020. As against Limerick, the expectation is that Cork will be too strong. I expect Tipp to bring a good test on their home patch in Thurles. However, I think Cork will have another gear in hand after the less than outstanding display against the Shannonsiders at home two weeks ago.

Cork’s first selection dilemma again comes at the No. 1 position. Patrick Doyle had possession for most of the league before Michael Aodh was restored for the championship opener. Neither has put their name on the jersey yet and nobody is quite sure who will get the nod for this one. Stick or twist? I’d give Doyle the chance to play a championship game and it will be up to him to grab the chance. It’s far from ideal to have so much uncertainty around the position, but that is the reality.

In defence, the starting sextet were mostly solid and may well get the nod again for this one, with Sean Brady pushing Sean Meehan for a spot at corner back. Daniel O’Mahony, Maurice Shanley, Tommy Walsh and Luke Fahy all impressed at times against Limerick, but Brian O’Driscoll is still looking to rediscover his form from 2025. The black and red cards last time out didn’t help his cause in his search for form, but he will still retain his place for Saturday.

There’s no prizes for guessing who will line out at midfield, with captain Ian Maguire and Colm O’Callaghan expected to give Cork the lion’s share of possession. Steven O’Brien, if fit, will give them plenty to think about, though, with fellow 2020 survivor Paudie Feehan a candidate to join him. Maguire and O’Callaghan won’t have it all their own way, but should edge the battle.

That will mean an ample supply of possession for a forward line that will have at least one change, with Dara Sheedy a confirmed absence for the U20s this week through injury. The timeline for his return is unclear at the time of writing, but hopefully we will see him back in action soon. Brian Hurley is the most obvious replacement, and he will be raring to go having come off the bench against Tyrone, Meath and Limerick.

The rest of the forward line will be unchanged, barring a surprise, with Paul Walsh, Sean McDonnell, Mark Cronin, Chris Óg Jones and Steven Sherlock all keeping their spots.

Assuming Meehan starts, Sean Brady, Rory Maguire and Matty Taylor will provide defensive cover. Sean Walsh, Ruairi Deane and Conor Cahalane will provide cover for the midfield and half-forward area, with Conor Corbett and possibly Cathail O’Mahony expected to provide firepower if the starting forwards aren’t producing.

This fixture could be classed as a revenge mission for Cork after 2020 but given the complete overhaul of the Tipperary team, that game does not have as much relevance. The Cork players involved that day would like to even the score, nonetheless.

Ultimately, this boils down to a team that will operate in Division 1 next year against a team that will be in Division 4, even if Meath coming unstuck against their neighbours to the west last weekend serves as a timely reminder that there are no guarantees in sport.

Cork will need to show better attitude and endeavour than they did for long periods against Limerick. Unlike the hurling last Sunday, there will be no shortage of tickets for Saturday afternoon, but a win will see us bound for Killarney one more time. That will bring a few out of the woodwork. We can look forward to that when the job is done, Cork by six.