Limerick manager John Kiely praised his player's second-half performance in particular as they registered a 10 point win over Clare in the opening game of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship today.
0-36 to 1-23 was the final score in Thurles where the game also saw the Treaty retain their Allianz National Hurling League title.
The sides were level at half-time before Limerick scored six unanswered points in the opening five minutes of the second half and never really looked back.
The Banner did threaten to come back into it with a Ryan Taylor goal narrowing the lead to just a point in the 46th minute.
Kiely's side were not to be rattled though and sent 21 points over in the second half compared to Clare's 1-8.
The Limerick boss analysed how they improved following the break at full-time.
"Once we got together at half-time and reset ourselves we came out and the boys brought a greater sense of urgency and intensity and executed what they were trying to do much better than what they had been doing up to that point.
"There was a few things we needed to improve on, we just needed to get to the tempo of it that was it, we just needed to get bodies to the breaking ball, we needed to get out in front of our man and go at him.
"We needed to do more of that and we did."
The game came almost eight months after all competitions were postponed in March due to the spread of Covid-19.
Kiely said as a manager the summer was difficult at times but ultimately he felt the break benefited his side.
"The challenge really was to maintain the connection with players.
"We did leave them off to the clubs for their championship and we didn't interfere with them and touch base with them at all during that time.
"Some of the decisions we made we found difficult, sometimes you want to stay in touch with players but sometimes the better thing for them is to let them go, let them back to their clubs and stay away from them and we did that.
"I think that made it all the better when we did get back together - that we had that freshness again after a long break."
In terms of this being a championship season like no other Kiely doesn't believe conditions will have a major impact upon results as we go deeper into the winter months and he's targetting improvements as they prepare to face All-Ireland champions Tipperary in a last-four provincial clash next weekend .
"For me, it's going to be the best team that's going to come out at the better end of this thing.
"That's the challenge for us going forward.
"We've got to become a better team, we've got to become effectual in any weather, in any conditions.
"I'm confident that we can improve again on today's performance.
"We'll go back to the training ground on Tuesday night, we'll work hard again and hopefully, we'll be a better team next Sunday."
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