Tipperary revival won't stop now

All-Ireland MHC Final/ Tipperary v Cork:July is a long time ago now. Reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary took the provincial title off Cork several weeks back with a seven-point winning margin that was achieved in particular circumstances.

With 12 minutes remaining and the match very much up for grabs, Cork's Eoin McCarthy was sent off for a second yellow card. Tipperary made use of the numerical advantage to pull clear.

What's happened since is a better indicator of what can be expected tomorrow afternoon.

Cork dusted themselves down to hammer Galway, with 17 points to spare, in the quarter-finals before halting the progress of Dublin's underage revolution in the last four. Ryan Clifford was amongst the goal scorers that day, as he was in the opening Munster championship encounter with Waterford when he finished up with a hat-trick.

In fairness to Tipperary they saw off a wounded Kilkenny in the semi-final.

Their chief scoring threat is Séamus Hennessy, who has accumulated 29 points in their four outings to date. He is, however, well supported in this regard by John O'Neill (2-11), Michael Heffernan (2-5), Pádraig Maher (3-1) and captain Brendan Maher (0-9).

Brendan Maher has been moved to midfield alongside Noel McGrath, where he featured last year and in the opening championship game this season against Clare. There are shades of Benny Dunne about him in terms of versatility as he featured at corner back for the under-21s against Cork this summer and at corner forward for his club Borris-Ileigh.

He is aiming to become just the second man, after Paddy Kenny in 1947, from the club to captain a Tipperary minor team to All-Ireland success.

Tipperary manager Declan Ryan has made one change from the side that started the semi-final against Kilkenny, with Seán Carey coming in at left-half forward in place of Joe Gallagher.

Ryan is a strong candidate to replace Babs Keating as the next senior manager so victory here could only help those prospects.

There are six survivors from the team that obliterated Galway in last year's final, including full back Pádraig Maher, Noel McGrath, Brendan Maher and Hennessy.

Robert White is the only change in the Cork team. This comes as no surprise as he has been in outstanding form for his club Carrigtwohill since losing his place after the Munster final.

When all is said and done, the revival of Tipperary hurling looks well underway. They are one behind Cork and Kilkenny on the minor All-Ireland roll of honour but their superior scoring power should see them claim an 18th title tomorrow.

TIPPERARY: TJ Logue; K O'Gorman, P Maher, S O'Brien; J Barry, J Coghlan, M Cahill; B Maher, N McGrath; S Hennessy, C Lorrigan, S Carey; J O'Neill, P Maher, M Heffernan.

CORK: D McCarthy; C Hurley, A Kearney, C Murphy; L McLoughlin, J Herlihy, C O'Donovan; S Farrell, D O'Sullivan; P Gould, M Bowles, M O'Mahony; L Farrell, R White, R Clifford.

Referee: James Owens (Wexford).