As the Allianz National Hurling League got underway in January, Tipperary hurling team entered the campaign as the team to beat following their All-Ireland success.

For Michael Breen, a three-time All-Ireland winner, the challenge of backing it up is nothing new.

Tipperary finished third in Division 1A after wins over Waterford, Offaly, and Galway. They also suffered defeats to Cork and Limerick, while drawing with Kilkenny last weekend.

While Breen would have preferred a league final, he believes the campaign served its purpose.

“I think it was a worthwhile exercise. We managed to bank a lot of work throughout the league.

“We came back a little later this year after the All-Ireland and the celebrations. That meant we had to use the league to build fitness and sharpness.

“We still have work to do. We have another three or four weeks to prepare for Cork on the 19th.

“You can’t compare everything to last year. We just need to keep improving and build on what we did well.”

Attention now turns to the Munster Championship, where Tipperary open their campaign against Cork in a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final.

On that occasion, Tipperary powered through in the second half to secure a convincing win. However, Breen expects a different test this time.

“We’ve had some great battles with Cork. They’ve probably edged a few of them in the past year.

“It’s going to be a different challenge now. There’ll be a new physical and tactical battle. Teams will try new things, and we’ll see how that plays out.

“If we get our own game right, we’ll be in a good place.”

History shows how difficult it is to retain the All-Ireland title. Tipperary have not done so since the 1960s, with the 2016 and 2019 wins followed by narrow defeats the following seasons.

Recent years have highlighted that challenge, with Limerick setting the standard by winning four titles in a row.

For Breen, the focus is simple — start strong and target success in Munster.

“We haven’t won a Munster title since 2016. That’s the first goal.

“We need to get out of Munster. It starts with a win in the first round, and we go from there.”