Sheedy relishing ultimate challenge

ALL-IRELAND SHC FINAL: Ian O'Riordantalks to Tipp's manager who says there is no team they would rather be playing in Sunday's All-Ireland final other than Kilkenny

BE CAREFUL what you wish for.

Last Tuesday, Liam Sheedy told us – sincerely so – that the All-Ireland hurling final wouldn’t be the same without Henry Shefflin. The following night, Shefflin showed up at Kilkenny training and dazzled everyone in attendance, including Brian Cody, with the speed at which he’d recovered from his cruciate knee injury.

Now, with sources in Kilkenny “certain” that Shefflin will start on Sunday, Sheedy’s All-Ireland showdown is complete.

If Tipperary are to beat Kilkenny, stop them from achieving that historic five in a row, they’ll mostly likely have to stop Shefflin first.

By all accounts, the Ballyhale man is fired up on all five cylinders to go where no Kilkenny hurler has gone before.

But then that can inspire Tipperary too, possibly motivate them more than they already are.

When I asked Sheedy how much of Tipperary’s motivation was about stopping Kilkenny from winning the five in succession, about being remembered as the team that prevented them making history, he naturally diverted his answer. Tipperary would be going out to win no matter who they were playing.

“We can’t control what the opposition is going to bring,” he said. “At the same time, they are an exceptional team, are being talked about as the greatest team to ever grace a hurling field, and they are going for five in a row. So we know what they are going to bring.

“But I’m also very happy that our lads have prepared to the absolute maximum, and will look to bring that performance on to the pitch. You just have to see where that takes you. They are enjoying what they are doing. These are the days that you live for, the build-up to an All-Ireland.”

How then does he think the chase for the five in a row might impact Kilkenny?

“Sure, these lads are chasing immortality. Eighteen times it has been tried (to beat them), and no one has managed to scupper them. They are an exceptional team and they set very high standards, but, and I keep saying it, we can not expect Kilkenny to come back to meet the rest of us.

“The only way you get up with them is by playing them and continue to play them. We got a chance to play them last year, and we are delighted to get the chance to play them again this year.

“We have twice as much experience this year than we had last year, too. These are a very level-headed group of lads and I think at the end of the day all they want to do is play and play to their potential.”

It has, however, taken Tipp a while to start playing to that potential. Actually, it seems a very long time now since they lined out against Cork on May 30th, in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and were effectively beaten off the field. Sheedy has every reason to be satisfied with their recovery, even if he’s still unsure why it all went so wrong that day.

“An awful lot of people maybe jumped on our case the morning after we were knocked out of the Munster championship.

“It was a low point. We just weren’t up for the fight. We were outbattled and outfought. Whether it was All-Ireland hangover or whatever it just didn’t happen for us in Munster.

“But I think the lads really pushed on as a group. They have worked immensely hard over the last couple of months. We could have been out in the quarter-final against Galway, but they showed great heart and determination.

“People sometimes forget as well that this is very much a young team. The half forward line the last day, there was a 19-year-old, a 20-year-old and a 21-year-old. They are still very much in the development stage.

“I have been constantly saying that this team and this county are moving in the right direction. In time, success will come. But there has to be an element of patience, because they are still young and in development.”

Still, that’s not saying they’re not ready for success on Sunday.

Sheedy appeared remarkably relaxed about Tipperary’s prospects, knowing of course that they really have nothing to lose, at least not compared to Kilkenny.

Part of it could be that because of what happened in the first round of the championship, is he just happy to be back in the All-Ireland final?

“Well, I’d much rather have won Munster, if that’s what you are asking. But they got a second bite at the cherry and they have taken full advantage of it. It’s only by work that you can get back up. That’s what they did. They didn’t hide, they didn’t shirk it.

“I think when you have a second chance you have to stand up, take stock and see if there are two or three things that every one of us can do differently, to try and get the show back on the road.

“I think everyone on the panel said, ‘right I am really going to knuckle down and let’s see where it takes us’.”

So, finally, what will it take for Tipperary to win?

“We have to weigh up the fact that this Kilkenny team, to be honest, no one has gotten near them in any of their three games to date.

“It is remarkable that they could put a team like Cork away

in 25 minutes after losing their centre back and centre forward. I’m under no illusions in terms of the challenge that lies ahead.

“But I think we are a little more battle-hardened this year, and for us there is no other team in the country that we would rather be in there to have a go at.”

That says it all really.

Liam Sheedy

Third year as Tipperary manager

Club: Portroe:

Player Honours: Munster Minor 1987; Munster and All-Ireland under-21 1989; Munster under-21 1990; National Hurling League 1999. Munster and All-Ireland Junior 1989, 1991.

Manager Honours: All-Ireland Minor 2006; Munster senior 2008, 2009.

Manager SHC Record: Played: 12. Won: 9. Lost: 3. Drew: 0.