As blisteringly underwhelming as England have been all night, this is still a team with an unerring sense of their own narrative, a belief in themselves, a taste for the dramatic climax.
Tipperary's second-half performance against Cork, scoring 3-14 to 0-2, is hailed as the greatest half in hurling history, surpassing previous records set by Kilkenny and Limerick.
"We were able to play in a zone where very few people can go, where you are physically exhausted but you keep going. Most footballers back off from that place. They say, 'Naw, naw, that's me done'. We were consistently in that zone and that's better than any medal."