Tipperary and Cork were in uniform agreement about one thing after Sunday's muted conclusion to the regular league season in Thurles on Sunday.

They have seen quite enough of one another by now. If Corkonians were concerned about a fifth league defeat on the trot for their team, they were just as pleased not to have to face Tipp in a fortnight.

Win or lose, Cork were consigned to starring in the one final everyone wants to avoid: the ‘relegation final’ from Division 1A. But if they have to play it, then best avoid the team they will face in the summer championship.

The general caginess informed the atmosphere on Sunday and Michael Ryan, Tipperary's manager acknowledged that their 2-27 to 2-15 win had contained all the elements of a phoney war. It was a peculiar game: fast-paced but lacking intensity; occasionally bad-tempered but passionless and featuring some splendid scoring along with very poor shooting.

“Those dead rubbers happen and if you’re in that situation what else can you do only play through it,” he reasoned.

“When we see Cork next, it will be entirely different. The venue and the teams will be the same but very little else in terms of the game and the quality. I was disappointed with that game – I thought that lacked a lot of intensity and I’m talking about our intensity.

“I thought we were a lot lower than the required standard for a lot of that game. It wasn’t for a lack of effort – I think it was one of those things that didn’t catch life for us.”

The result means that Cork and Tipp’ will prepare for their championship clash in radically different ways.

After Cork play Galway in that relegation final, they will effectively go underground until that May 22nd showdown.

Tipp, meanwhile, will train for the league quarter-finals and according to Ryan, they are anxious to return to the final for the second year in a row. Slipping into relegation territory was not something Tipp wanted to entertain.

Good preparation

“For everyone that’s concerned with this team . . be it the county board, our backroom team, you just want to arrive in the knockout states and we’re there. It would have been disappointing for us and left us with too many questions, losing some of those tight matches and to end up in relegation, it wouldn’t have been good preparation for us.

“I think it served a purpose for us. Now we’re moving into the next phase and its knockout – three matches to get to a final if we can do it. But look, it’s a great prize, a national prize and certainly we’ll be doing all we can to try and take it one step at a time.”

Cork trained three times last week, which accounts for a lower-volume performance than they recorded against Kilkenny the week before.

But Ryan felt his players also looked tired during the game and was annoyed that the day didn’t go better for a few players hoping to stake a claim in the championship squad.

“At times . . I just felt it wasn’t happening for us, which was unfortunate because we gave opportunities to guys out there to nail on places and get some quality time. It just didn’t work out for a couple of guys for various reasons. That can happen and it’s disappointing for them. We’ll have to pick them up again during the week.

“We’re heading on camp now, a reasonably short thing up in Breaffy House, but our bodies out there were tired. It’s been a gruelling six-week period of five matches. A little bit of down time is required to rest those bodies and recuperate. “

Barry Heffernan had to leave the field; his fine match ended when he collided with his own player. James Barry, Tipp's likely full back this summer, also picked up a knock and Ryan won't know the extent of his injury until Tuesday evening.

Patrick Maher is also recuperating and the return to Premier colours of Séamus Callanan brought the loudest roar of the afternoon. The big full-forward looked intent on announcing his return with a goal but had more joy when he wandered outfield, striking two fine points. The touch and sharpness will return with time.

A disadvantage

“Excellent, great to get him back on the pitch but as you can see, and Seamie would be the first to acknowledge this, you don’t just step back into this standard and pick up where you left off last August.

“Too much time has elapsed and it’s always a disadvantage not to have time during the National League. It’s very good for you, you’re at a level; you’re used to the pace of the game and the cut and thrust of the game. From that perspective, it was really good to get Seamie on the pitch on the last round of games.”

Clare’s win on Sunday propels them back into the limelight; nothing like a reunion with Tipperary to set pulses racing along those borders. A coin-flick settled the destination: Tipp will play in Ennis.

“No problem with Ennis, that’s absolutely fine. I just know that we’ll get a really good game. This will be really good preparation for championship at this point and that’s what we have to be thinking about. We have to have one eye towards May.”

As, of course, both teams did on Sunday.