Everything is magnified when you lose. People were on edge. The Clare public was worried about going to Cork, especially when the news came through yesterday that Tony Kelly wasn’t even in the matchday 26, and that Darragh Lohan was also too injured to tog out.

I was worried myself as I followed the action. I was in Limerick for the Limerick-Tipp game but we were watching Galway-Kilkenny while Cork-Clare was on. So I had to do with the commentary of Syl O’Connor and Tommy Guilfloyle on Clare FM, who, as always, kept their listeners up to speed and fully entertained.

I’m not just saying this now because I couldn’t watch the Clare match but it is frustrating more than just me, because I wasn’t the only one. Why could Clare-Cork not have been played on Saturday night? Or else play Galway-Kilkenny at an earlier time Saturday evening?

I have no issue with GAAGO. It is a fine service. The production has really improved. There is far greater accessibility now. It is great value for the championship package but it’s still infuriating when one of the biggest matches of the summer is, not only on GAAGO, but is going up against the biggest round-robin game in Leinster at the same time.

I can understand that hurling supporters who want to go to every game, but can’t, also can’t even watch all those games — it’s just not possible.

I don’t understand why the GAA can’t plan this better, especially when they can see this coming a mile out. I appreciate that GAAGO were showing Armagh-Down on Saturday night but that is a different viewership. 

As Donal Óg Cusack said on live TV, we are trying to grow the game, but putting two of the biggest matches of the round robin on at the same time is not the way to market your best product. Even for pubs who have both matches on at the same time, or people who try to watch games on a TV and laptop simultaneously, it’s no way to enjoy games.

I was trying to take notes on two fronts. When Cork went seven up early in the second half, I felt Clare were in huge trouble. I was wondering if there would be a response. There certainly was, especially from Shane O’Donnell, Peter Duggan and Mark Rodgers.

There’s also great credit due to Eibhear Quilligan in goal, especially when he had such a tough day last Sunday, making fine saves from Darragh Fitzgibbon and Patrick Horgan. It’s a great sign of a player to be able to rebound off the ropes and come out fighting so strong.

Cork ended up on the floor but they’re not out for the count just yet. They showed huge heart and fight. Patrick Horgan and Seamus Harnedy led the charge — again. There are still plenty of games to be played yet, while Tipp’s inferior score difference could yet be a saving grace for Cork. And there are four points still up for grabs.

Tipp have some amount of work to do now to dig themselves out of this hole — even if they have three games still to play. You could see from Liam Cahill’s comments afterwards how dejected and deflated he was.

What is in the Tipp dressing room now? What is in their bellies? Have they the stomach for it? Have they leaders? Are they hurling for their manager?

On the other hand, a manager can only do so much. Sometimes you need your players to dig you out.

Compare Tipperary to Clare? There’s no comparison. Look at how Clare responded to the setback against Limerick? Brian Lohan made mistakes but look at the response from his players.

What is Tipp’s next move? They have six days to find the answers and show their public. If they can turn over Waterford, they will blow this championship wide open. It will also give Cork more heart after the devastation of successive defeats.

Tipp were right there with the All-Ireland champions for the first 25 minutes. Limerick were playing good stuff, but only in patches. When the score was 0-8 to 0-6, I felt the period before half-time was going to define the game. Even if Tipp were just two points in arrears, I felt they’d be in a good place to attack the second half.

And then Limerick dropped the pedal, stretching it to five at half-time. Still, the wind was at Tipp’s backs for the second half, they brought on Noel McGrath and Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher, and got the scoreboard moving again. At 0-15 to 0-11, I felt they had momentum again. But similar to last week against Clare, a Diarmaid Byrnes free dropped short and, this time, Aaron Gillane caught it and hammered the ball to the net.

Like the click of your fingers, Tipp’s heads just dropped. Before you knew it, the score was 2-22 to 0-13 after Peter Casey’s goal. When Caso suffered a horrendous leg injury afterwards, the only reason Tipp got the next four points was because I’d say the Limerick players were just shell-shocked and concerned for their team-mate.

Peter was man of the match. His goal sealed it. Giving him the award certainly was no sympathy vote from us. I hope Peter is ok but he will be very lucky to see action anytime soon.

Once again, Limerick had some serious performances. Nickie Quaid made an incredible save from Seán Hayes. Seán Finn looked impeccable. Declan Hannon and Kyle Hayes were brilliant. Their back six worked so well as a unit, restricting Tipp to just 0-18, most of which were frees.

Even though Limerick cruised home, there was still no comparison to the intensity in that match compared to what we saw in Salthill. Thomas Walsh was hardly blowing for anything but it still lacked that ferocity. For the second year in succession, their round-robin meeting ended in a draw.

Kilkenny will be happy but I’d say Henry Shefflin will be bulling, especially when you look at how strong that Galway team was compared to Kilkenny, who were down three of their best players.

Kilkenny just did a Kilkenny on Galway again — they out-hurled and out-thought them. They don’t do panic, especially against Galway. Any time Galway edged ahead, Kilkenny just hit the next few scores to keep them within arm’s length.

Galway could have had four goals in the first half but Kilkenny just kept on keeping on. Mossie Keoghan and John Donnelly were outstanding. Kilkenny just found a way.

I’D say Henry must be tearing his hair out but I also wonder about the direction of this team. They played Fintan Burke in a man-marking role on TJ Reid when he was in the forwards and they wound up with Daithi Burke at number six, and Padraic Mannion in the full-back line.

I can’t understand why they don’t just leave Daithi in his best position at full-back. Despite Henry being in year three, I still think there are as many questions than answers.

There is great credit due to Carlow for how well they played against Dublin on Saturday but the story of the weekend was Antrim’s win against Wexford. They were brilliant, especially James McNaughton.

Antrim have made Corrigan Park a fortress but you’d still have to pose huge questions about Wexford, especially when they were seven points up against a team annihilated by Kilkenny.

This display against highlighted the fragility of Wexford again, which has been all too apparent in the last two years. They have to come out fighting now next weekend against Galway. The players have to show their manager something.

They aren’t the only ones.