Cork hurling talking points: Tipp primed, Fitzgibbon to midfield and Alan Connolly must deliver

Tipp saving their best for championship?

Just like last April, Cork are away to the team who beat them in the previous All-Ireland final and are keen to lay down an early marker. Clare's league form was so patchy in 2025 that they were relegated.

Tipp didn't rip it up in recent months either, yet ended the campaign with three wins and a draw while exploring their options. They were only delighted to leave Limerick and Cork in the spotlight.

Liam Cahill's decision to opt for a sweeper and persevere with the tactic when six points down at half-time reaped a rich reward in last year's All-Ireland final. 

He might go down that route again or throw something new at the Rebels, especially in Ben O'Connor's first championship game as manager.

The Premier's marquee men, Ronan Maher, Eoghan Connolly, Jake Morris and John McGrath, were all immense in the last meeting. Darragh McCarthy torched Cork for 1-13. 

Tipp spent the season building to Sunday's clash while Cork had the distraction of the league final.

Cork's positioning of key players:

Does Ciarán Joyce remain in the full-back line or switch with one of the Downeys? Remember Rob was an All-Star contender at number three in 2021.

Physically, Joyce is a good match for Shane O'Brien. He fared well against the Limerick attacker during the league final recently but Tipp's front six thrive on rotation and their speed. The Castlemartyr man might be needed further out the field with Rob Downey marking John McGrath or Jason Forde.

The other question is whether Darragh Fitzgibbon will be restored to midfield from the half-forward line? 

Fitzgibbon actually started at centre-forward in the 2023 draw with Tipp in the Páirc, when the centre-field pairing was Tommy O'Connell and Brian Roche. He clipped 1-1 that evening and hit the net from that sector in the league final last spring as well.

The Cork captain is a three-time midfield All-Star but only started there in four games last season, following the defeat in Limerick. O'Connell and Tim O'Mahony offer a lot of aggression and hard running at midfield so the selectors will probably opt to stick with Fitzgibbon up front, where, aside from the Gaelic Grounds outing, he has been very effective.

Walking the walk:

Alan Connolly came under fire for stating at a championship launch: "We kind of just focus on ourselves. We're not trying to worry about anyone else. When we're at our best, I don't think anyone can beat us."

That's fighting talk, given they've yet to lift Liam MacCarthy but also refreshingly honest. Of course Cork believe they're good to take down any team.

In isolation as a headline though, it comes across as hubris. You don't have to go far to find criticism of Cork arrogance and the 'hype train', often driven by those with an agenda from outside Rebel county.

The bottom line is, if you talk the talk, then you better walk the walk. 

Connolly has scored five championship goals against Tipp and another in the 2025 league final, he now needs a big performance against in Semple Stadium. 

Ticket distribution:

Tipp knocked Cork out of the qualifiers during the Covid-disrupted 2020 season and soared in last year's All-Ireland final but their Old Firm round-robin record in Munster is patchy. Cork have three wins and there have been two draws. Tipp's sole victory in 2019 came down the Páirc.

Perhaps that was a factor in the hosts returning a portion of tickets this week? 

Some fans won't, or can't, watch from the terrace. 

There's massive interest in Munster hurling but the decision to distribute tickets via clubs for the opening rounds left many supporters having to plan around RTE's coverage. Thurles will be hopping come Sunday regardless.