
5.
6. Brian McGrath Rating: 6/10 A day to forget for the youngest of the McGrath clan. He was caught between a rock and a hard place with Cian Lynch dropping into the pocket and he was torn between holding the fort and following the Patrickswell ace. In the end, neither one or the other was done and the Loughmore man was withdrawn at half-time.

6.
7. Conor Bowe Rating: 7/10 Had a stuttered start to the game as he had a brief stint on the sideline after getting an early blood injury, but he was one of the few Tipperary players to play well into the second half. He fielded a few brilliant long balls over Limerick bodies but did at times take the wrong option with ball in hand. Still a work in progress at half-back but certainly doing well overall.

7.
8. Eoghan Connolly Rating: 7/10 Fronted up well to the physical battle all game with Will O’Donoghue and looks like a player relishing his role further up the pitch. He used his stature well to link up play through the tackles in the first half and seldom wasted possession, finding good deliveries into Forde and Morris at different times. Like the rest of the team, his effort and influence waned in the second half but he looks to be putting his best foot forward for a starting spot come April.

8.
9. Paddy Cadell Rating: 7/10 A long awaited return for the Templemore to the side and it was okay giving the time away from competitive intercounty action. He needed a fitness test pre-game to confirm his place and he got stuck in well, particularly in the first half, but the legs were drained and was withdrawn with ten minutes to go. It is early days for Cadell in terms of getting to match fitness and hopefully he can get up to speed quickly and make a big contribution going forward.


