Munster SHC Semi-final: Nicky English Hurling Analyst: My gut reaction in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's draw was that Tipperary would take the replay but after a week of contemplation I'm not so sure.
Limerick can take more positives out of the game. Granted, they were unable to put Tipperary away in the closing stages but it must be noted they were a man down for 50 minutes, in 27 degrees, and playing into a second-half breeze. With 20 minutes to go I'm sure Richie Bennis would have settled for a draw. The Limerick team spirit and work ethic must be commended, especially considering they lost Damien Reale so early. Ollie Moran and Séamus Hickey's displays were other significant pluses.
On the debit side they didn't produce any goal threat until Pat Tobin's great strike in the last minute. They had to work harder for their scores. The form of Peter Lawlor is a concern. Maybe he is more suited to wing back than midfield. In contrast to Tipperary delaying their line-up until closer to throw-in, the Limerick team announcement exudes a more confident approach.
Naming Reale at full back is a sign of irreverence to whoever is named at full forward - be it Eoin Kelly or even a more dominant aerial presence like Micheál Webster or Danny O'Hanlon. Having said that, I expect Lar Corbett to start.
The injury to Kelly is a real worry. Shane McGrath confirmed the impact he made last year was genuine so his failure to recover would be of equal concern. I'm sure Babs Keating knows his team already but after last Sunday some form of certainty needs to be brought to the Tipp ranks. Hugh Maloney and Benny Dunne are vying for a wing-back position (both are good enough to be there) but neither is particularly suited to anywhere else. Benny has done enough moving around. The hope going into last weekend was he would solidify a role in the half-back line. I think Conor O'Mahony did enough to be considered the Tipp centre back.
Tipp's defensive performance was a negative, which is mitigated by three inexperienced guys in the full-back line. Also they failed to maximise the extra man. Paul Curran remains a huge loss. Ollie Moran's outstanding performance contributed to an unsteady half-back line. Eamonn Corcoran can play an awful lot better. Along with Kelly, that game will bring him on a lot. Having been dormant for nine weeks, a lot of them will be better for the game.
Up front, Tipp will need to shuffle the deck. A positive here is they racked up 1-19 despite Kelly being some way off his best. Tipp landed more economical scores but the ball was coming out way too easy from the Tipp forward lines in the closing stages. Séamus Hickey, Brian Geary, Stephen Lucey and Mark O'Riordan dominated in there. Hence all the problems down the other end.
It's hard to make a call without seeing a Tipperary team but considering the Thurles factor and the sum of their parts I can just see them squeezing into the Munster final.
People are expecting a lot from Waterford this year especially considering the manner in which they won the league. After last year's All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Cork there were question marks over whether they had another year in them. But one look at the personnel at their disposal dispels this notion.
Tony Browne is the only relic left from the 1992 All-Ireland winning under-21 team. They've unearthed a few gems this year in wing back Aidan Kearney and footballer Shane Walsh (who is on the bench), while quality players like Tom Feeney and Brian Wall are held in reserve.
It doesn't guarantee silverware but Waterford are the most talented team in the country. They showed a renewed self-belief during the league, especially in the semi-final win over Cork and subsequent felling of Kilkenny. Also, the indiscipline problem that has hounded them for years still exists but is not as pronounced. They're cuter now.
Michael Walsh's permanent move out to midfield - he was wasted at full forward last year - is crucial, while Declan Prendergast has more than solved the full-back conundrum.
I think it could be Waterford's year but they face a Cork team hardly short of motivation or grievance. Cork failed to win three in a row last year because a tiredness crept into their approach. It's difficult to say they lacked hunger to win an All-Ireland but that's what happened. Training might lack the required energy. It becomes more difficult to find that spark.
But the suspensions of Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Donal Óg Cusack and Diarmuid O'Sullivan has changed all that. It makes them rebels with a cause. It's a huge motivational factor. The Cork public love to be forced into a corner. They now have a reason to come out fighting. It will be a Semple occasion to rival any of the classics seen at the old stadium in recent times.
That John Gardiner avoided suspension is key. Cork seem to always win when two thirds of their famous half-back line perform. Seán Óg was not his best anyway against Clare.
Cork manager Gerald McCarthy can use all this to his advantage as it provides an opportunity to stamp his mark on the team. Fresh blood in goalkeeper Anthony Nash, the impressive Shane O'Neill and Kevin Hartnett is no harm. Cork must look to the future at some stage and this is the ideal introduction.
I'll stick with Waterford and Tipperary but won't be overly surprised by a Limerick and Cork Munster final.
