Munster win signal that Tipp have arrived

The Munster hurling final may not have delivered on its promise of a great contest between two sides hungry for honours but it has signalled the arrival of a Tipp side who were a joy to watch.
Liam Sheedy's team showed that their National League win was no one off and this young Premier side looked equipped to take on even the mighty Cats.
I have always believed there is no substitute for class and the Tipp lads showed that in abundance on Sunday.
They seemed to be able to take their scores at will from all angles but this was due to some great passing into the front three and great movement at pace off the ball by Lar Corbett in particular which created the openings for Tipp to finally put Clare to the sword.
Tipp to be honest looked good all over the field.
Their full back line gave Clare no quarter whatsoever and it was no fluke that Niall Gilligan only got into the game after half time when he moved out the field.
It was a tough day at the office for Gilligan and young Mark Flaherty in the opening half.
Eamon Corcoran put in another mighty performance in half back and while Clare had purple patches in the middle of the field Shane McGrath kept working hard and eventually came out on top.
Tipp enjoyed a great return from their half forwards Seamus Callinan and John O'Brien, their two goals were really nails in the Banner men's coffin.
Eoin Kelly put in another good solid performance and I think he has been helped by the fact that the team is no longer so dependent on him to bring home the bacon, Kelly can afford to play almost like a mere mortal these days and the team will come up with the goods.
Corbett is absolutely flying this season. He seems to be playing much more consistently and his constant probing is opening up gaps in any defence he has faced so far.
What most impressed me was the sheer quality of Tipp's striking and movement and they matched this with the toughness required to face strong opposition.
Of course they still have to face the Cats and will have to overcome another stiff test in the All-Ireland semi final no matter who comes through the qualifiers just to earn the right to take on the champions.
However, they look for the first time in years like the genuine article.
They are a young side and have a conveyor belt of young talent breaking through to suggest that they will be a force for a few years to come.
Hurling badly needs at least one team capable of a genuine rivalry with the Cats and the Premier County men look like the team best equipped to put in a sustained challenge, but try telling that to Galway!