‘It’s so important to get this win’ - Declan Browne on Tipp's victory over Waterford

Tipperary manager David Power was unavailable to take questions after Sunday’s win over Waterford, leaving it to former two-times All-Star and current senior selector Declan Browne to deputise.

The Moyle Rovers clubman was greatly relieved Tipp had come through a stern test, even if it was much harder than 12 months previously and a lot tougher than many neutrals had expected it to be.
“We are relieved to get the win,” he stated “and anyone that has been following Tipp football knows how poorly the year has been going. And it wasn’t from lack of effort but it was the way things were working out for you. You could blame it on injuries but we won’t do that. For us to get our first win and it happens to be the first round of the championship, it’s massive. God only knows what would be said about us if we were beaten. It’s so important to get this win,” added Declan.

Throughout the seven games of the league in which Tipp had failed to win, the side had let games slip away when the pressure came on. It was and still remains a big worry for the management.

“You’ve been following our games all year and we have caved in in games. We’d be playing well and then when the heavy pressure came on we died and wilted. People thought the same would happen today. Jack Kennedy worked well to make a goal out of nothing and it turned the game. To score three goals in any match gives you a chance. It’s a relief. People expect us to just come out and hammer Waterford, we don’t. I wouldn’t say relieved, but it is important to get our first win,” he said.

Tipperary started with three very big men in the full forward line, captain Steven O’Brien, Stephen Quirke and Sean O’Connor. It was obvious what the intention would be.

“Our game plan was to try and get the balls in long to the three lads. I suppose we were getting given out to for not getting the ball in all year. That was our plan for this game and that we would lump it in and get the right men on the ball to deliver and when we did it worked. Steven (O’Brien) got a great goal (in the first half). In fairness to Waterford they came at us in the second half and we responded well. We left a few chances out there and so did Waterford,” added Declan.

Tipperary survive big scare from Waterford to advance to Munster semi-final with Kerry

Having missed a few league games, Steven O’Brien’s return to the side was a massive boost in every sense and he did huge work over the 70 minutes. Declan Browne acknowledged the importance of having him available for selection.

“Steven O’Brien was an All-Star nominee a few years ago and he’d get on any team. We can’t afford to be missing players of that calibre and that’s not being disrespectful to our panel; the Dublins and Kerrys would be the same with Con O’Callaghan and (David) Clifford. He seems to be okay at the end of it. He’s our captain and it’s massive to have him back and now we need to wrap him in cotton wool,” continued Declan.

Realistically for Tipp, as David Power has already stated, the target is the Tailteann Cup, and Declan Browne, who captained Tipp to a Tommy Murphy Cup win in 2005 in Croke Park, knows how important competitions like this are for the weaker counties like Tipperary.

“We have to prepare for the Tailteann Cup, but it is a free shot at Kerry and you need to embrace that. As a player in our worst times, I loved taking them on in Killarney. We need to get our bodies right and prepare. It’s another leg on the journey. But there’s no expectation on us and we’ll get ready and train and we’ll give it a go,” added Browne, the only Tipp footballer with two All-Stars to his credit.