Ian O'Riordan talks to Tipperary captain Ger O'Grady ahead of Sunday's Munster hurling final clash with Cork

What you're about to read is true. It wasn't staged or faked and none of it was off the record. It's simply Ger O'Grady denying us our daily quota of clichés and doing some straight talking instead about Sunday's Munster hurling final.

Like how Tipperary plan to handle the Cork half-back line.

"Just plough into them I suppose. Maybe hit the ball over their heads or else just keep it away from them.

"But they're fairly good, aren't they? They're one of the best half-back lines I've ever seen. But Babs has a few tricks up his sleeve. You know Babs. He's no back of a clock."

And how they plan to actually beat them. "Just keep hitting the ball into Eoin Kelly. It's obvious, isn't it? He's getting all the scores for us. Every team in Ireland has one class forward, one they can depend on, and right now Eoin is probably the best forward in Ireland. So as long as he keeps getting the scores we'll keep giving him the ball."

Or how he deals with all the pressure when living directly across from Semple Stadium. "I just go down to the local there for a pint. Babs has put a ban on the drinking all right but sure what he doesn't know can't hurt him."

And how it feels to be the first Thurles Sarsfield captain for a Munster final since the great Jimmy Doyle. "All it really means is marching around first behind the band. Brendan Cummins and Eamonn Corcoran are the boys that are heard in the dressingroom. They're the real leaders of the team. I say my few words, but I'd be trying to have the craic more than anything."

So much for playing down the hype. O'Grady - or Redser as he's called by everyone except his mother - clearly doesn't believe in building up Cork any more than they already are. Sure they'll start Sunday's game as favourites, but Tipperary haven't made the final by accident and they're deadly serious about making the most of it.

"Cork will start as favourites and deservedly so, but favourite's tags go out the window when the ball is thrown in for a Munster final."

And are Cork as good as people think sometimes?

"I don't know. We feel we have the hurlers in Tipperary to beat anyone, it's just about getting it right on the day. But we know that means we'll have to hurl as good as we've ever hurled on Sunday to beat Cork. And I mean that.

"There is a lot of talk about this Cork half-back line, and their midfield. But we can't worry too much about that. We're just worried about getting our own team right and our performance right, and if we do that I think we've a fair chance. We probably beat them in the second half last year. They hammered us in the first half, but we came back and could have nicked it in the end.

"And last year a few of us were just happy to make a Munster final. We did get caught up in the occasion. Sorting out tickets and all that. It's different this year. We're not just happy to be there. We want to win, especially in front of the home crowd. So we'll be giving it a fair lash."

If manager Michael Babs Keating was present at the press briefing in Dublin he might well have shouted stop at this stage, yet O'Grady is on a roll now and keeps on saying things exactly as he sees them. Like how Tipperary have completely turned around their National League form.

"Well that goes to show, doesn't it? I don't think the league means much. League form and championship form are completely different. We didn't have a good league campaign and we were criticised by a lot of people, including our own supporters. It's a little different now, which shows that everyone likes to get behind you when you're winning.

"But we've just kept doing things right at training, all the drills and that kind of stuff. We knew there was a big performance in us going into the Limerick game, and maybe they had shown their best form in the league. So we've had two good wins now and we're shaping up well."

Despite his candour and welcome blast of fresh air, O'Grady has had his own reality checks. He knows how Semple Stadium can be transformed into a cauldron of pressure come Munster final day, and knows exactly what it would mean for Tipperary to beat Cork on Sunday.

"I was in there as a young lad in 1990 and again 1991. I was selling programmes outside for the 1991 final and got in to see the match. And it was brilliant. We came back to beat Cork after being eight points town.

"And then in 2000 I was there again, working as a steward. When it's a full house it's an incredible place to be. And it's the traditional Munster final, Cork against Tipp. The Clare lads mightn't like to hear that, but I think it is anyway. So hopefully we can win this one.

"But living beside Semple Stadium means it's more a family atmosphere around there for me. I'd know all the neighbours fairly well, and would go into the stadium most nights for a puck around. And I can leave my window open on Saturday night and I'll be able to hear the Cork lads down the town, singing 'Rebels, Rebels . . .' But I'll sleep all right."

We feel he's probably said enough at this stage and gently pull away our dictaphones: "Is that it then? And I get nothing for that, do I?"