Cruising Tipp will suffer in tighter times
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THE big test of this Tipperary team will arrive when they go two or three points down in a tight game and are no longer reliant on a big early lead to get them through.
Tipp were in cruise control against Clare at times in yesterday's Munster SHC semi-final and playing some great hurling, but the worrying aspect was that Clare came back into it.
Credit is due to Clare for not throwing in the towel and Diarmuid McMahon's 1-1 before half-time kept them in it. Colin Ryan looks a real find too in his first season and missed nothing from play and frees.
At times, Tipp played some beautiful stuff but when that controlled passing game breaks down, it looks terrible.
Conor O'Mahony going off injured at half-time weakened the team too and Waterford will be quietly confident approaching the Munster final.
Tipp will start the game as hot favourites and, outside of Kilkenny, they're the most consistent team around.
Noel McGrath is a beautiful hurler, a coming star, and it's great to see so many emerging players in the game.
The thing is, the day will come for Tipperary when they might not amass a big lead and Waterford will have noticed the trend.
Tipp seem to be taking their foot off the pedal and doing enough to win but Waterford will look to get in their faces early, play on the edge and not let Tipp get into their stride.
Waterford themselves are brilliant when they're on song and towards the end of Saturday's replay against Limerick, they were popping points over from all angles.
Make no mistake, that was a huge win for them and a big one for Davy Fitzgerald. They're in a glorious position now -- win the Munster final and they're back in an All-Ireland semi-final.
The Qualifier draw has pitted Clare with Galway and that's a humdinger of a game. Clare's supporters were outnumbered two to one in Limerick yesterday but they will have left the Gaelic Grounds thinking that they have a team again.
It's winner takes all against the Tribesmen at Cusack Park in Ennis and while home advantage will be massive for Clare, Galway will have taken a lot of positives from Saturday's Leinster semi-final against Kilkenny.
Referee Barry Kelly was in the spotlight again and he gave out some yellow cards that weren't warranted at all.
A couple of players were perhaps fortunate not to walk the line too but I don't know about Eddie Brennan because I thought he was unlucky to be pulled for the first yellow.
Tommy Walsh is certainly living on the edge but the big worry is that he'll get sent off some day when he doesn't deserve it.
Any good team will live on the edge and it was very noticeable that Walsh was up for a battle when he came out for the second half without the trademark red helmet.
It was in the last 10 minutes of each half when Kilkenny won the game with their power and physicality proving too much for Galway, who will be happy nonetheless.
A word of congratulations too for Dublin, who have reached a first Leinster final since 1991.
Yesterday's semi-final against Wexford, for me, was a game they had to win. Under Anthony Daly, they have taken giant steps and they will have great support for the Leinster final. Overall in the province, there's a great buzz and Saturday night in Tullamore was superb, with a great atmosphere and the pitch in superb nick.
Looking ahead to the Qualifiers, Laois and Antrim will both fancy their chances while Clare and Galway is a real 50-50 game.
Offaly are at home to Cork, who will be fancied to advance, while home advantage could well swing it for Wexford against Limerick.
Offaly found out to their cost what a fortress Wexford Park can be and overall, we have some more super games to look forward to.
It's proving to be a very good hurling championship summer so far and there's more heat on the way...
- Cyril Farrell
