Tipperary - 1-18 Clare - 2-13: Despite the odd precarious wobble, Tipperary's Munster crown remains intact after a narrow, but deserved, victory over Clare.Memories of last year's rather unpleasant meeting between the counties receded as yesterday's Guinness Munster hurling championship first round provided a fine afternoon's entertainment for the modest crowd of 27,531 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Winning manager Nicky English said that the only losers were those who stayed away and the well-worn phrase was appropriate.
Clare supporters were outnumbered by the opposition - presumably because they felt that the fixture offered fewer grounds for optimism than at any stage in the past eight years.
Instead, Cyril Lyons's team provided just as stiff a test for the champions as they had 12 months ago.
With three minutes to go, Clare cut the deficit to a point with a patiently worked move that culminated in hand-passes between Tony Griffin, Niall Gilligan and David Forde who drove home his second goal to leave the score-line 2-12 to 1-16.
A replay or a Clare win looked in prospect, but, as so often before in the afternoon, Tipperary raised their game to survive.
As well as sending the champions into the semi-final where they will face last year's Munster finalists Limerick, Tipperary's win was particularly pleasing for English and his management because of the form of several fringe players.
Missing five of last September's All-Ireland line-up, Tipperary were forced back on their reserves yesterday.
In the end, the match was a triumph for Noel Morris in his first championship start for the county and Conor Gleeson who hasn't enjoyed the most consistent form since he captained the county in the 1997 All-Ireland final, also against Clare.
Gleeson's display at centre forward went a long way to subduing the influence of Seán McMahon, who had been man of the match in last year's fixture and Donnacha Fahey had one of his best championship matches filling in for the injured Paul Ormonde.
Morris won some good ball and, whereas his vigorous style around the middle was unsurprising, he also showed some unexpectedly deft stick-work.
Among the highlights were - pointing a long-range line-ball in the first half, taking two elegant points in the second and spraying some excellent passes into the forwards, including the ball pounced on by Eoin Kelly for a great point in the 59th minute.
Kelly was again phenomenal. Having announced himself against Clare last year, the young corner forward went on to have a great debut year in senior hurling.
This season will be even better if yesterday is anything to go by.
His 1-8 featured a thunderous goal and three points from play after Gleeson's long delivery and Frank Lohan's slip combined to give Kelly more than ample room for his lethal shot.
Clare will be unhappy with the wides count. Although it didn't differ enormously from Tipperary's, it represented chances that the challengers needed badly to take.
A number of the misses were from promising positions and it helped sap the momentum of their highly-charged opening.
Lyons had successes of his own, though, with debutant Tony Griffin shooting six points from play and just one wide (albeit that it was an easier opportunity than most of his scores).
He might also have had a goal when sent in by Frank Lohan in the 59th minute but the shot was straight at Cummins who deflected it away.
John Reddan at centrefield also had a good afternoon, shooting three points from play and triggering some bafflement when replaced by Ollie Baker for the last quarter.
It may be that the Clare management felt they needed to put to a stop to Morris's gallop, but Reddan had the scoring touch on an afternoon when it wasn't conspicuous throughout the team.
Kelly's 23rd-minute goal looked to have put Tipperary in control. Yet, within a few minutes, Clare had pulled a goal back.
Tony Carmody's strong run in behind the defence ended with a precise ball to Forde who side-stepped Cummins and netted.
Quick responses from Tipp pushed their half-time lead to 1-8 to 1-5. Captain Tommy Dunne said they had expected a lively restart from Clare, but it was the champions who stretched their lead to five by the 44th minute.
It was a feature that Tipperary had the sharpness of champions and showed it whenever threatened. Under-strength they may have been, but they demonstrated great assurance when threatened.
That five-point lead for instance was whittled down to two as Clare hit three points in as many minutes, but, rather than sustain the momentum, they allowed Morris to hit one in immediate reply to keep some distance between the sides.
Captain Brian Lohan had a rousing second half, bringing off one particularly spectacular dispossession on John O'Brien in the 48th minute after Brian Quinn had lost possession while adventuring down the right wing.
The big problem for Clare was at the other end as the attack lost its definition and began to wander - more than once leaving unmarked defenders to gain possession.
Tipperary's renowned half backs - who had switched Paul Kelly and Eamonn Corcoran - not surprisingly thrived in this anarchic situation.
The margin was kept at three and four points until Clare's late but unavailing assault.
TIPPERARY: 1. B Cummins; 2. T Costello, 3. P Maher, 4. D Fahey; 5. E Corcoran, 6. D Kennedy, 7. P Kelly; 11. T Dunne, 9. N Morris; 10. B O'Meara, 8. C Gleeson, 12. L Corbett; 13. E Kelly, 14. J O'Brien, 15. E O'Neill. Subs: 24. M O'Leary for Corbett (37 mins), 19. B Dunne for O'Brien (50), 18. M Ryan for O'Leary (64).
CLARE: 1. D Fitzgerald; 2. B Quinn, 3. B Lohan, 4. F Lohan; 5. D Hoey, 6. S McMahon, 9. G Quinn; 11. J O'Connor, 10. T Griffin, 12. A Markham; 15. D Forde, 14. T Carmody, 13. N Gilligan. Subs: 21. O Baker for Reddan (53), 22. C Clancy for Carmody (60).
