THIS MUNSTER hurling title can rightly be savoured by Tipperary people and, like Kilkenny, they can rest easy in the All-Ireland semi-final as the championship gets very serious very quickly from here on in, writes Nicky English.
The overall impression from yesterday's match is Tipp were by far the superior outfit. Their first touch was better. The scores came easier and before Clare's brave second-half revival caused a minor scare they were coasting to victory.
It would have become a cakewalk if Lar Corbett converted that fairly simple first-half goal chance. Not that we can be too harsh on his performance as he was the main threat from the Tipperary forwards. Séamus Callinan's first-half performance was also impressive and John O'Brien got the ball away quickly and smartly, picking up 1-4 in the process.
But victory really originated in the half-back line, where Conor O'Mahony and Eamon Corcoran, in particular, controlled most ball that came their way. When leadership was needed, Corcoran put his hand up. Remember, there are plenty of inexperienced heads scattered through this Tipperary team who would not be used to the wheels creaking in such a high-pressure environment that only a Munster final can bring.
Shane McGrath and James Woodlock had the run of the midfield until Colin Lynch and Clare's best performer, Brian O'Connell, upped the intensity.
From a Clare perspective, the revival came too late. A team of Tipperary's natural confidence and ability cannot be afforded an eight-point interval lead.
The malaise within the Clare ranks was apparent from the national anthem, never mind the throw-in. Maybe it was nothing but Mike McNamara had to rustle the bench to line-up like the Tipperary replacements as the band started up. It sent out a message of the contrasting vibe between the sides. Clare proceeded to perform some level down from the standard they set against Waterford and Limerick.
Tipp, to their credit, looked impressive in the opening raids but were largely let at it. Clare lacked the collective intensity that has marked out their great displays down the years. And then there was the racking up of some brutal wides. The most disconcerting aspect from a player perspective was the number of those responsible. Niall Gilligan recovered well but along with Mark Flaherty (who never recovered from missing that early free and was gone after about 25 minutes), set the tone. As did Tony Carmody. These are the trend-setters in the Clare team.
Seeing Brendan Cummins make a good stop from Jonathan Clancy's early goal chance visibly lifted the younger fellas' spirits. Cliche it is, but the blend of youth and experience is evident in this Tipperary side.
That Clare showed the resilience to find something and make it a competitive match, at least until O'Brien's goal, is a credit to those wearing the jersey. It is a crumb of compensation but they must take whatever positives they can ahead of another testing challenge in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Gerry Quinn's switch to centre back in place of Conor Plunkett ignited the comeback. They also started to take over midfield, with McGrath and Woodlock increasingly subdued, while the ball-winning problems in the half forward line re-emerged. Pat Kerwick was pulled and Séamus Butler was also replaced after moving out to replace him.
That Clare continued to miss the target, despite improving on the 10 wides in the opening half, meant they would never reel in Liam Sheedy's men.
It could be interpreted as complacency but until O'Brien's strike, creeping fears of a Tipperary collapse remained.
So, a few concerns still. The forwards did not get enough regular ball into them, in the fashion they require. Seeing Corbett being harried back along the sideline from the Clare 45 springs to mind.
As mentioned, matters move quickly forward now. Back in January, Tipperary would have been delighted to be crowned National League and Munster champions but with success comes increased expectations.
The mentality will be to just go for it now. Sure, they'll be disappointed if they don't add the first All-Ireland since 2001 but Waterford are going to come back an improved team. Galway will get some serious hurling under their belt next week against a Cork side that continued to look unimpressive in beating Dublin - we won't rule them out, though.
Kilkenny looked commanding during the second-half dismantling of Wexford.
Clare are some way down the pecking order but the next day should at the least bring more urgency out of them from the start.
A quick mention about Limerick. The hunger and drive that marked them out in 2007 was non-existent. Even in the frustrating years I don't think their fans have booed them at half-time. Offaly played well, especially Joe Bergin, but the old problems may have returned to the surface for the first time for the Richie Bennis management.
