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Tailteann Cup 2026

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Replying To CeachtPeile:  "And yet there would be no issue if a Munster or Leinster hurling team lost three matches and qualified. It's bound to happen eventually in one of the groups.
In fact, a Leinster team could lose four matches (three group games and the Leinster final) and continue. Why the double standards?"
Why the "double standard"? Because one is run on a group basis, while the other is run on a "knockout with a back door" basis. Both formats as agreed at Congress, where all counties have a vote on it. It's really quite simple.

Anyway, as recently as last year, the same could have happened in football - a county could lose a provincial match, lose two more in the group stage of the Sam Maguire but go through in third place, and still go on to win the Sam Maguire despite having lost three times.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3583 - 10/05/2026 18:11:25    2672048

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Why the "double standard"? Because one is run on a group basis, while the other is run on a "knockout with a back door" basis. Both formats as agreed at Congress, where all counties have a vote on it. It's really quite simple.

Anyway, as recently as last year, the same could have happened in football - a county could lose a provincial match, lose two more in the group stage of the Sam Maguire but go through in third place, and still go on to win the Sam Maguire despite having lost three times."
As you say, groups were used for the last three years in football and the system was abandoned this year largely because of the incessant whinging about teams being able to lose three times. No such objection exists in the case of hurling even though Leinster teams can lose four matches. So definite double standards considering the same body deals with both structures.

CeachtPeile (Cavan) - Posts: 176 - 10/05/2026 22:25:06    2672168

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