Jason Forde: 'If you are off a small per cent on any day, you will get wiped'
Michael Bolton
Out of Jason Forde's three All-Irelands with Tipperary, their 2025 Liam MacCarthy looked the most unlikely at the beginning of the season.
After not getting out of the group in Munster in the past two seasons, much of the focus was on their rivals: Cork, Clare and Limerick.
Reaching the league final against Cork, there was a sense that times were changing for the Premier county, who, on the third time of asking against Cork this season, put in an incredible second-half display to win the All-Ireland.
Crucial to their success this season was Forde, who was the fourth-highest scorer in the championship, as he was determined to bring the good times back to Tipperary.
"It's been brilliant. To get to Croke Park and then to go out and win it, it was the stuff of dreams.
"You question a lot. The matter that we went out it in 2024, we were well beaten in some of those games. At the inter-county level, small things can make a huge difference.
"If you are off a small percentage on any day, you will get wiped, and that is what happened. I would be lying if I said it wasn't tough to deal with.
"This year it was just about going back and trying to right those wrongs in 2024.
"We got in the neck from a lot of people in Tipp. We’re a mad hurling county and people don't be shy about letting us know what you haven't done so well."
In the lead up to the final, Cork were seen by many as favourites. Scoring goals for fun and showing no mercy, Tipperary reaching the final looked like a bonus on the years gone by.
However, the tactical switch of having a sweeper was crucial for Tipperary, and one some people did not see coming.
"We've found ourselves in that situation a number of times where other teams have maybe deployed a sweeper and you end up with an extra back.
"For a lot of lads, it probably wasn't anything new. Bryan O'Meara has played that role for UL for a good number of years, and he's well-equipped to do it because he's such an athlete, being able to cover ground and stuff.
"You saw that they [Cork] opened us up for goals in the league final and in the Munster championship, so we had to do something to try and counteract that.
"Byran played it superbly well. He covered off that side of the field and mopped up a lot of the ball. I just think it was really clever from the lads."
After U20 success, and the likes of Oisin O’Donoghue and Darragh McCarthy making their mark this season, it could be a special time for Tipperary.
At the age of 31, Forde is on the more experienced side of the squad, but has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
However, he knows from past experience that Tipperary cannot get too ahead of itself.
"I don't think you can ever look too far into the future, to be honest. The Munster championship is a bear pit. There won't be anyone in our group looking past that next year."
"The age profile of the team and coming off such a high, it would be hard to kind of leave that behind, you know? Once the body is good and you're injury-free, why not stay out as long as you can?
"When you do close the door on it, that'll be it."
