Munster hurling: History favours the break but sample size is small

Two games down, two games to go. Three points accumulated from those two games leaves Cork top of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship round robin phase.

The staggered fixtures in the third round mean that Waterford and Limerick are up next weekend in Walsh Park on May 3, while defending champions Clare host Tipperary on May 10. Both teams desperately needing a win to save their championships.

While the third round of fixtures is Cork’s bye week, the fact there’s a week between each game means Cork get three weeks off, while the other four will only get two.

Is it going make a difference when Cork travel to the TUS Gaelic Grounds, given that Limerick will have had two weeks between each of their first three games, whereas Cork will have played two in succession before having two weeks off?

Time will tell, but what would history suggest?

Heading back to last season, it was Clare who were recipients of the three week break. Having bounced back from the opening day defeat to Limerick to beat Cork in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, they made great use of the extended break.

Narrow wins over Waterford and Tipp ensured that they qualified for the Munster final against Limerick. While the decider didn’t go their way, we know how the story goes from there. 

They won their first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship since 2013.

Coincidentally, the 2023 All-Ireland winners also enjoyed the three week break at the end of April.

On that occasion, Limerick had won their opening two games in Munster, but returned from the break and were held to a draw by Tipperary. They concluded the round-robin phase with that crucial 3-25 to 1-30 win over Cork that knocked out Pat Ryan’s side and saved themselves from being eliminated.

They of course went on to win their fourth consecutive All-Ireland title.

Unfortunately for Cork, though – that’s where the run of All-Ireland winners getting the round three bye ends. In 2022, it was Waterford’s turn to get three weeks off – and they headed into the break with one win, one defeat.

They had opened the season with a four-point win over Tipperary, and having won the league that season – confidence around the team was high. Then managed by current Tipperary boss Liam Cahill, the Déise were beaten by Limerick, losing out by three points in round two.

It got much worse after the break, though. A six-point defeat at home to Cork preceded a 12-point hammering from Clare in Ennis. They fell flat, finishing fourth in Munster with two points.

2020 and 2021 returned to the traditional knockout format, but in 2018 and 2019 – Munster competed with that same round-robin format.

2019 differed in that the round three fixtures took place on the same weekend, and on that occasion it was Cork who had the three week break. 

The Rebels were beaten by Tipp but had taken down Limerick in the opening two fixtures.

Returning from the break they annihilated Waterford, and after suffering defeat to Clare in Ennis – emerged from Munster on scoring difference, though missed out on the final.

2018 differed slightly, in that the competition ran for five weeks uninterrupted, with each team taking a week off during that spell. Clare got the bye for round three, but only two weeks off.

That means that Cork are the first team to get the three week break twice, while Tipperary are still yet to have the bye once, having featured in the third round of fixtures every year.

For the teams who have received the bye, the results look promising. Three Munster finals, one third place and one fourth place. The hope will be that Cork do not just make a Munster final, but win one.