Cork will be 'raging hot favourites' in final

Jason Forde scored in the second half as Tipperary netted four times at Croke Park

Despite the high of Sunday's thrilling All-Ireland hurling semi-final win over Kilkenny, Tipperary's Jason Forde insists Cork will be "raging hot favourites" when the Munster neighbours meet in the final on 20 July.

Forde was instrumental in the Premier County's 4-20 to 0-30 win, bagging a first-half goal and nailing some crucial scores from frees and play in the second period when his team needed a steady hand.

"The last couple of years haven't been enjoyable because we haven't been getting to this stage," he told BBC Sport NI.

"We've been putting the work in but not seeing it at the other end. You have to have a bit of luck to get to this stage and thankfully we've had that.

"But the younger players have come in, no real baggage, won at minor and under-20s so they see this as a natural progression and Liam has gelled the whole thing together.

"I'm sure they'll (Cork) be coming in as raging hot favourites. We'll just have a serious two weeks of training and give it one hell of a lash."

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."

Bryan O'Mara was named man-of-the-match

Bryan O'Mara picked up the man-of-the-match award and the wing-back was also quick to pay tribute to the fresh faces in the squad, including corner-back Robert Doyle who made a crucial block on the line from John Donnelly's last-gasp shot that could have forced extra-time.

The Holycross–Ballycahill clubman came into the Tipperary panel the year after their last All-Ireland success and is keen to get his hands on Liam MacCarthy for the first time, but concurred with Forde's opinion they will enter the final as underdogs.

"People are saying that Robert is the find of the year and he absolutely is, but we've had four or five of those (younger) boys come in and taken to it like ducks to water," he said.

"Cork will be raging favourites. They won't fear us and they've beaten us by 10 points twice this year, but we'll go in ready."