'I would give Waterford a better chance than Tipp of going through', says Cork hurling legend
Patrick Horgan has said that he sees Tipperary losing out in the race to get out of Munster
All-Ireland champions Tipperary could be set for a difficult campaign in Munster, with doubts emerging about their chances of retaining the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
That was the view of two seasoned voices on The Sunday Game, where former Clare hurling team defender Anthony Daly and recently retired Cork hurling team forward Patrick Horgan shared their concerns about Tipp’s outlook.
Following a loss in their opening round-robin clash against Cork, the same side they overcame in last year’s All-Ireland final when Horgan was still lining out, Tipp now face a high-stakes trip to Walsh Park.
There, they will meet a Waterford hurling team side encouraged by their performance against Clare, even if it too ended in defeat.
With only three counties advancing from the Munster round-robin, the pressure is already mounting. The top two will progress to the provincial final, while the third-placed team must take the longer route via an All-Ireland quarter-final against the beaten Leinster finalists.
After the opening round of games, the early pace-setters are Clare, Cork and Limerick hurling teams, who have yet to play. Both analysts suggested that this trio is unlikely to change much as the competition unfolds.
Daly believes Tipp are still in contention, though he acknowledges the scale of the challenge ahead.
"Tipp still have a good chance, they have another home game to come," Daly said.
"It’s massive this weekend, going to Walsh Park. If they lose, they’re probably in massive trouble.
"Waterford will give it a fair lash. Peter Queally was positive enough there in his interview."
Horgan was less optimistic, indicating that Tipp’s title defence could be short-lived. He pointed to the upcoming clash in Waterford as potentially decisive for both teams.
"I would pick the current top three to go through, but I would give Waterford a better chance than Tipp of going through at the moment," the Corkman said.
"[Waterford] did show something today, but I think Tipp showed very little – and that’s a worry."