Enter a parallel universe where Tipperary have held on to one of their various leads and qualified for tomorrow's Guinness Munster hurling final.
What would the view be of their chances? Within Waterford there was a widespread preference that Tipp should be the opponents, partly on the grounds that they were familiar and partly because their record against Waterford isn't that imposing; they would be seen as beatable.
If Justin McCarthy's team are to deliver on their highest ambitions this summer, Limerick have to be eminently beatable as well. For all that they successfully turned the semi-final into a battle on their own terms, Limerick will know that this is a step up in class against a side with a settled back nine and the best attack in the game.
So where are the pressure points? Pressure is actually one of them. If Limerick can turn this into another scrap and avoid a clean hurling contest, which they can't win, they will have made a start. Further to that their opponents can be volatile and prone to ill-temper.
Waterford might have shown a much improved sense of calm this year but it's not out of the question that the red mist might descend on Eoin Kelly if he's sufficiently niggled and provoked. Discipline will be important.
The evidence against the favourites after the cascade of scores in the semi-final was that a depleted Cork team played themselves into contention by causing havoc against a supposedly improved full-back line and taking three goals.
To be fair to Waterford, Declan Prendergast was inhibited by an early injury to a, let us say, sensitive area, whereas Eoin Murphy, whose bad displays are collectors' items, had been sick coming up to the match.
But Brian Begley, who caused such aerial consternation when the counties met in the 2001 semi-final, will have been encouraged.
There are talking points in both selections. Damien Reale's potential absence is terrible for the player who misses the chance to lead Limerick into a Munster final but it's also bad news for the team, disrupting the full-back line.
As usual, McCarthy's announced selection might as well have been engraved on an Egyptian sarcophagus for all its relevance to tomorrow. The only real question is whether newcomer Kevin Moran will start at wing back or centrefield, with Jack Kennedy dropping into James Murray's left wing back position.
Moran's selection was a surprise, as his NHL input had been limited to a couple of outings at centre forward but he is best deployed in the half-back and centrefield sector. One interesting duel will be Aidan Kearney and Andrew O'Shaughnessy who won All-Ireland colleges medals together with St Colman's, Fermoy.
LIMERICK: B Murray; M O'Riordan, S Lucey, S Hickey; P Lawlor, B Geary (capt), M Foley; D O'Grady, M O'Brien; N Moran, O Moran, M Fitzgerald; A O'Shaughnessy, B Begley, B Foley.
WATERFORD: C Hennessy; A Kearney, K Moran, E Murphy; T Browne, D Prendergast, K McGrath; M Walsh (capt), S Molumphy; S Prendergast, D Shanahan, P Flynn; J Mullane, E Kelly, J Kennedy.
Referee: Séamus Roche (Tipperary).
