Waterford Keen to Extend Streak
As impressive as Waterford have been in seeing off Galway and Tipperary in the last two weeks, a clear seasonal-best performance will be required if they are to advance to the All-Ireland decider on August 22.
There’s plenty to like about how Liam Cahill’s men have rallied after some high-profile injuries earlier this year, as well as recovering from a loss in the opening championship fixture against Clare, but they’re set to take on a different animal this Saturday in Limerick.
Just over 24 hours to go
Our Senior Hurlers will travel to Croke Park tomorrow evening for a 5pm throw in against Limerick in this year's All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Semi Final!
Best of Luck to all involved!#deiseabú
pic.twitter.com/cwYQib8ejY
— Waterford GAA (@WaterfordGAA) August 6, 2021
The Deise – clearly well organised and playing with great spirit at present – will no doubt have learned plenty from their 11-point loss in last year’s All-Ireland final, but the reigning champions looked as good as ever when blowing away Tipperary in the second half of the Munster final last month.
John Kiely has tended to gradually improve his side as the season goes on and the memory of Limerick’s loss in the 2019 All-Ireland semi-final to Kilkenny will likely be prominent in the players’ minds – they will be extremely eager to avoid a similar slip-up now.
No side in the country can match Limerick’s squad depth and Waterford’s chances of pulling off an upset – priced up at 3/1 will be dependent on them putting up a very high score.
This should be closer than when the two sides clashed in last year’s final, but Limerick – rightly the 3/10 favourites – set a clear standard and come here with a significant advantage in terms of freshness.
Kilkenny to Edge Out Cork
The market can’t split these two major rivals, who have a real habit of serving up thrilling encounters, but Leinster champions Kilkenny look the superior outfit and make plenty of appeal at the prices.
There have obviously been plenty of changes in terms of playing personnel since Brian Cody first took over his native county’s side in 1998, but an astonishingly hard-working ethos has been a constant in each of his teams down through the years, able to bring the game to a level of intensity that few can match.
TJ Reid, still performing to an exceptional level as a 33-year-old, is undoubtedly the Cats’ star man, but some high-class supporting characters have made their presence felt this season. Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen have looked particularly in tune.
They were impressive defensively against Dublin in the Leinster final too, with their half-back line a standout area, and being able to call on the likes of Walter Walsh from the bench in the second half has been a useful asset down the stretch during this campaign.
Cork, seeking a first All-Ireland title since 2005, have a number of top-quality weapons at their disposal – none more so than the sublime Patrick Horgan – but their ability to convert potential into silverware has let them down in recent years and a sense lingers that other sides are better suited to the white heat of battle.
Kilkenny may not be the force of old, but they look more ruthless than the Rebels, have made good strides from last season and are well used to delivering the goods when the chips are down.
They look poised to prevail again at odds of 21/20.
*All odds correct at time of writing.