All-Ireland Hurling Championship: Cork will be ‘raging hot favourites’ in final – Jason Forde

It was a stirring victory for Liam Cahill’s men as Tipperary repeated a victory over Kilkenny from their last visit to Croke Park – the 2019 final – and it’s a return to the decider as they face a Cork team they have met three times already in 2025.

The first of those games in Division 1A saw Tipperary claim victory, but Cork were 10 points better in the league final and that margin was pushed out to 15 when they met in the Munster championship.

However, it’s a far cry from last year when Tipperary finished bottom of the group in Munster and doubts hung over the future of manager Liam Cahill, yet they have made huge strides over the past 12 months to get back to hurling’s biggest day.

The last of this year’s meetings with Cork saw Darragh McCarthy sent off right at the throw-in and although McCarthy’s day again ended early on Sunday, it was for two yellows and he will be available for the final.

Despite going down to 14 players, Tipperary stuck to the task and it was another of the young guns in 19-year-old Oisin O’Donoghue who rattled home an incredible goal which proved decisive.

“It was a mad last 10 minutes,” Forde reflected.

“Oisin coming on again and getting the goal, that’s a goal nearly every game he’s come on in this year. For a lad at 19, it’s exceptional.

“When Darragh got sent off the game went a bit frantic, there was no real structure to the play, so it seemed to kind of suit us, we stayed in it and got the scores at the right time.”