Limerick battled back brilliantly to secure a draw against Tipperary at the weekend, but it's fair to say that John Kiely's team don't quite have the same aura that they did in recent years.
Over the last few seasons, there was a sense that Limerick were miles ahead of the other potential All-Ireland contenders. They were an immensely talented team, one that possessed the type of depth in their panel that no other county could match. It also helped that they could some of the best hurlers in the country in various positions around the pitch.
However, the thing that may well have given them the biggest edge was their physical advantage. The sheer size and power of their players, coupled with their hurling ability, meant it was incredibly difficult to stop them.
In saying that, some feel this is something that is changing.
Brendan Cummins feels Limerick are losing one major advantage
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, former Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins said he felt that Limerick no longer boasted the physical advantage over other teams that they once had.
I think the physical strength of the rest has caught up a little bit, to be fair.
The strength and conditioning, when you see Limerick players a year or two ago when they got the ball in the middle third, Will O’Donoghue was breaking the line and getting through whereas now they're being pushed sideways and sometimes even backwards.
They’re trying to play over teams and I think that’s what caught them yesterday.
Tipperary are extremely good stickmen, when they’re in possession they ping the ball around. Out of possession, normally when a guy comes to you to hand-pass it over your head, for example, the defender will dangle a hurley. Tipperary, they dangle with purpose and they can break and intercept the pass.
Limerick have come back slightly, but the rest have caught up really, which is the big story here.
This is an interesting observation. It is clear that hurling is becoming an increasingly physical games, with counties putting a huge emphasis on maximising the power of their players.
Limerick were field leaders in this regard, although it does seem that other teams are now steadily catching up with them. As a result, they are losing one of the advantages that made them such a difficult opponent.
It will be interesting to see how this affects their fortunes later on in this year's championship.
SEE ALSO: Liam Sheedy Delighted To See Tipperary Forward 'Coming Of Age'
