When Tipperary lost a classic All-Ireland semi- final to Galway in 2017, they made just two substitutions - both of which related to Jason Forde.
The first, in the 34th minute, was to bring him on and the second, 27 minutes later, was to take him off.
Tipperary lost that game by a point and Forde, who hadn’t been injured, was left with all sorts of thoughts and feelings running through his mind.
He said: “You’ve a range of emotions going on; you’re angry, embarrassed, the whole lot. I actually remember getting up the following morning and thinking ‘God, what’s going on here?’”
After a few days of brooding, the powerful forward concluded that change was necessary and it had to start with him.
He said: “If I was to go back, what was the point in going back to do the same thing? You were only going to end up with the same result. So I met up with a lad from Nenagh, he’s a personal trainer. I did that bit extra in the off season. That probably stood to me.”
The following February, Forde was part of a UL side that won the Fitzgibbon Cup, scoring 1-10 in the final against DCU.
And he started all four games for Tipperary in the 2018 Championship, blasting 3-38.
The Silvermines man has been an ever present in their lineups this summer too, starting all seven games and returning 2-57, 1-17 of which has come from play. From the low of 24 months ago, he has found redemption.
He said: “I was probably at the lowest I ever was after ‘17. I owe a lot to the lads in the club for picking me up. And to my family at home as well.
“I’d very much keep things to myself so I’d a lot of trying to deal with that myself. After a few weeks you try and rationalise it and say, ‘Did I do enough to put myself in the position where that wouldn’t have happened? Are there things from my side that I can work on?’.
"You realise there’s no point trying to blame other people because that’s not going to do anything for you. I really had to look inside and say, ‘What can I do better? What can I do different to make sure it doesn’t happen again?’”.
It was Michael Ryan that called Forde ashore in front of the eyes of the nation that day in 2017 - but the same man was to the fore in Forde’s rehabilitation.
Forde said: “We had a very honest conversation at the end of 2017, going into 2018, about whether I could come back and do the same thing again, what needed to change.”
If Tipp can get the job done today, and if Forde can claim a second All-Ireland medal, he will reflect on a strange jour- ney; from hero to villain, and back again. He said: “I suppose it just makes you appreciate it that bit more and be grateful for where you are.
“Even this time last year we were all sitting at home watching the games, or off some- where on holidays watching, wishing we could be there.
“The big thing that’s coming through for me is that you appreciate where you are and you’re just really looking for- ward to this occasion now.”
It’ll be the seventh Tipp- Kilkenny final in 10 years with Kilkenny winning in 2009, 2011 and 2014, Tipp coming out on top in 2010 and 2016 and a draw in 2014.
Forde said: “If we start to let ourselves get involved in that kind of rivalry stuff and start thinking that way, it’s just not going to do any good so we don’t think about it. It’s all about ourselves.”
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