One scandalous statistic sums up Tipperary’s breathtaking return to form

Is there a more explosive trio in hurling than Tipperary's full forward line of John O'Dwyer, Seamus Callanan and John McGrath?

When on form these boys can go to absolute town on you. Kilkenny found this out to their cost in last year's All-Ireland final when the triumvirate racked up a scarcely believable 2-21 between them. Dublin knew all about it on Saturday. It didn't take too long either, with the dynamic tripod combining to score 3-7 for The Premier County inside 24-minutes of play. That was before any other member of the Tipperary team had gotten on the scoresheet. Talk about a way of answering your critics, because these lads had plenty of them in the build-up to Saturday night's All-Ireland qualifier clash with Dublin in Semple Stadium. Tipperary endured a stuttery league campaign in 2017, and when they lost to Cork in the first round of the Munster Championship, and then stumbled over Westmeath in the qualifiers, the sharks were circling. "Typical Tipperary, they're not able to play once they win an All-Ireland," said critics. "There's trouble in the camp, sure look Barrett getting dropped proves that." Callanan, O'Dwyer and McGrath didn't emerge unscathed either. McGrath was dropped for the Westmeath game, Callanan was taken off after 45 minutes having not scored from play and Bubbles, despite his goal hadn't been at his best all year. They just about went and shut every critic up on Saturday. They're flair players, the three of them. When they're good, they're good and they were pretty damn good in front of a home crowd in Semple Stadium. Callanan got the ball rolling with the first goal of the game, and he ended his evening with a whopping tally of 3-11. That's the type of player Callanan is, one day he mightn't do much and the next, well, he had 1-4 scored inside seven minutes against Dublin. John McGrath just managed the 2-3 from play. John O'Dwyer, he only managed 0-4 from play. What were you at Bubbles? That all adds up to 5-18, 5-11 from play. Wow. Never write Tipperary off, especially with these three in their ranks.