There are only six teams left in the hurling championship and while Limerick would appear to be the strongest, there’s a lot of hurling to be done yet.
Provincial champions Limerick and Kilkenny are sitting pretty with their semi-final places booked but for Tipperary, Waterford, Clare and Galway, there’s a quarter final to focus on first.
That quarter final draw was made on Morning Ireland with All-Ireland Champions Tipperary set to face Galway next Saturday in the Gaelic Grounds at 1.15. Meanwhile Clare will take on Waterford on the same day in Páirc Uí Chaoimh at 3.45.
Neighbours and rivals Tipperary and Galway have met on a number of occasions in recent years with Galway edging it in 2015 before the Premier struck back in the 2016 semi-final, on their way to winning the All-Ireland. The Tribesmen made it 2-1 on the head to head in 2018, as they went on to win the Championship themselves.
Meanwhile, Clare defeated Waterford in the Munster championship last year but as Limerick found out on Sunday, Liam Cahill’s Waterford is a new and improved Waterford.
While it would appear a more straight forward path to the promised land for Kilkenny and Limerick, the Treaty are well aware of the perils of a semi-final, as the Cats dumped them out at the last four stage last year. Given that the pair are coming in as provincial champions this year, they will be kept apart in the semi-final draw.
