Saturday
Limerick v Waterford, Croke Park, 5.0 – Live, RTÉ2
Last year’s finalists arrive at this year’s semi-final in arguably similar shape: Limerick, physically intimidating, an aura of invincibility but inconsistent in performance, against Waterford, having impressed and gaining altitude with flying displays against Galway and Tipperary.
This didn’t end well for Waterford in 2020. What are their chances, now?
They have the experience of that trauma to guide them and will probably be in better shape, even though their best player, Tadhg de Búrca, still hasn’t recovered from the injury he picked up in December. Although it is seldom mentioned, they troubled Limerick in last year’s Munster final and will hope to bring more of that to this evening.
Limerick’s game of two halves in this year’s Munster final is generally interpreted as outlining an upwards trajectory but they have been patchy in the two championship matches to date.
They will make it a lot harder for Waterford to run through their defence than the ageing and not so fast Tipp and Galway teams managed and the expected attrition will make it all the more challenging for a team on their fourth week running (literally) in the championship.
Can they maintain their scoring efficiency, having gone from 19 wides against Laois to 11 against Galway and nine against Tipp – in the second half last week they scored 15 out of 16 attempts?
If they do, it will be harder achieved than seven days ago. Will they get as good a start as in the past two weeks? Can they avoid the final-quarter fade that nearly cost them well-earned victories against both Galway and Tipperary?
Limerick pose so many threats. Cian Lynch's ability to orchestrate their attacks requires close attention and the half backs, who obliterated Waterford last year, are no less imposing with Kyle Hayes in exceptional form. Jamie Barron has been a huge influence on the challengers but found space monstrously hard to come by eight months ago.
Dessie Hutchinson was a bystander then, a reflection on the carnage elsewhere rather than on him, and he has been excellent so far but overall it's very difficult to see how Waterford keep the champions at arm's length in order to execute their preferred game plan.
The main caveat for Limerick is discipline. Some day a referee will get tired of incidents, which are the product of living too close to the edge or simply, general recklessness.
WATERFORD: S O'Brien; I Kenny, C Prunty (capt), S McNulty; C Lyons, Shane Bennett, K Bennett; J Barron, P Hogan; J Fagan, J Prendergast, Stephen Bennett; D Hutchinson, A Gleeson, P Curran.
LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, B Nash; D Byrnes, D Hannon (capt), K Hayes; W O'Donoghue, D O'Donovan; G Hegarty, C Lynch, T Morrissey; P Casey, S Flanagan, A Gillane.
Sunday
Kilkenny v Cork, Croke Park, 3.30 – Live, RTÉ2
Strangely for a fixture with such a resonant history, this semi-final is the less compelling of the two. There are questions surrounding both teams as well as indisputable virtues, which could lead either to victory but how does that all compute?
The only common factor is Dublin, who were burned off more quickly by Cork but shut out in the finish more convincingly by Kilkenny.
Kieran Kingston has certainly improved his team with the assistance of his coaching recruit Dónal O'Grady. They are more mindful of goals, deploy their advantages of pace more tellingly, look harder to get past at the back and most significantly, have demonstrated some of the grittier characteristics needed to get by at this level.
The first couple of those improvements suggest an advantage at Croke Park with the fast pitch and encouraging form of Jack O’Connor.
That last point is still to an extent on trial, as evidenced by the continuing disinclination to ‘trust’ Cork in big matches – especially against Kilkenny, who they haven’t beaten on Jones’s Road for 17 years.
In fairness to the Leinster champions they haven’t been able to do much more than they’ve done: ride out the Wexford storm and patiently dismantle Dublin. Whereas neither is a top-level credential, both were ultimately clearcut.
There have also been improvements. Adrian Mullen was back to approaching his best in the Leinster final and Eoin Cody has demonstrated a noticeable kick-on after last year's Young Hurler of the Year apprenticeship. This has ameliorated the dependence to point of addiction on TJ Reid.
James Maher, restored after a litany of injury woes, was particularly impressive in the Leinster final as a ball wining wing back marking Danny Sutcliffe. The defence also looks strong in the full back line where Huw Lawlor and Paddy Deegan have been outstanding even if reservations exist about the overall vulnerability to a running attack, which Cork can easily summon.
Despite lukewarm notices, Kilkenny reached the (un-played) league final and put back-to-back provincial titles together for the first time in five years.
Two years ago, on paper Cork had a great chance in the quarter-final and Patrick Horgan shot the lights out but unfortunately his team-mates were largely content to sit in the dark.
It’s clear that Cork have progressed beyond that dismal showing but Kilkenny are also improved and in terms of this weekend, may just be better.
CORK: P Collins; N O'Leary, R Downey, S O'Donoghue; T O'Mahony, M Coleman, G Millerick; D Fitzgibbon, L Meade; C Cahalane, S Harnedy, R O'Flynn; S Barrett, P Horgan, J O'Connor.
KILKENNY: E Murphy; T Walsh, H Lawlor, P Deegan; J Maher, P Walsh, M Carey; C Fogarty, R Reid; A Mullen, J Donnelly, B Ryan; E Cody. TJ Reid, A Murphy.
Subs: D Brennan, J Holden, C Wallace, C Delaney, D Corcoran, C Buckley, M Keoghan, W Walsh, J Bergin, R Hogan, L Blanchfield.
