\6 talking points after day of Munster hurling action in Waterford and Cork

The 42

28-04-2025

1. Waterford receive boost
Victories in the Munster hurling round-robin series are precious for Waterford teams. Before yesterday they had only enjoyed three under those conditions in their province, in the sixth running of this format they reached the number four figure.
The pleasing nature of this success was the idenity of the opposition. Waterford ended a losing streak at the hands of Clare, as their result sheet in the round-robin system against Banner teams had read five games played and five defeats before yesterday. They did defeat Clare in the 2020 All-Ireland quarter-final during Covid but in truth had struggled in these encounters.
Changing the pattern of results against Clare is a boost to the Waterford ranks, along with an excellent start to a pivotal week where they also host Limerick.
2. Red card drama
For the second successive week, a red card played a major role in determining the outcome of a game involving Cork.
Advertisement
Last Sunday Cork were clinging on against Clare after Shane Barrett's dismissal, yesterday they were essentially set on the road to victory by the early sending-off suffered by Tipperary's Darragh McCarthy.
Cork discovered last week just how difficult it is to operate with 14 men in the modern hurling era. Teams are so slick at retaining possession and eliminating risk from their deliveries, that the presence of an extra man on the pitch provides them with an asset that they will seek to maximise the value of.
Cork only had to cope with that numerical disadvantage in Ennis for the last 20 minutes of action. Tipperary's task was an impossible one, playing virtually the entire contest in Páirc Uí Chaoimh with 14 players. It was too much of a setback to absorb. It's easy to have sympathy given his youth for the adrenaline-fuelled misstep by McCarthy, but the influence on the rest of the game was undeniable.
3. Stephen Bennett the scoring star
There was little doubt who chiefly provided the scoring inspiration for Waterford's effort. Stephen Bennett finisehd the day with 2-8, a tally distributed across open play, frees and a penalty, and on a day when Waterford chalked up 2-23 and won by eight points, it was a handsome return from the Ballysaggart man.
The timing of his goals were crucial. Clare were three adrift, 0-14 to 0-11, when Mikey Kiely was fouled, and despite losing his footing on the Walsh Park surface, Bennett drilled that penalty to the net. Then with 12 minutes left, and Clare only trailing by three once more, it was Bennett's blend of opportunism, alertness, and composure that saw him seize Patrick Fitzgeraldn's point attempt that dropped shot, before firing in the goal that sent Waterford six clear.
Waterford sailed clear from there and were indebted to a player who was marking a game of personal milestones in style – making his 100th appearance for Waterford and reaching the 40th goal mark.
4. Cork's goalscoring threat
The early red card sharply changed the setting at which the game was played, all the momentum was handed to Cork and wrestling it back was the tall order that Tipperary faced.
Yet despite the odds being stacked in their favour, it required Cork to show the capacity to exploit it. They had the tools to do just that, once again showcasing the serious goalscoring power their team possesses. By the three-quarter mark they had found the net three times courtesy of Tim O'Mahony, Patrick Horgan, and Alan Connolly, before Declan Dalton lashed home the fourth.
Their inside forwards are key threats, while O'Mahony is a running option from midfield, just like his colleague Ethan Twomey was in the league final. In their last five games across league and championship, Cork have now knocked in 19 goals, and the fact that 13 of those occurred in the opening periods, illustrates their desire to punish teams early on in games.
5. Clare under pressure
When David Reidy tapped over a close-range free last Sunday, Clare were on the verge of a momentous opening day success in the defence of their All-Ireland crown. Instead they were hauled back by a late Cork rally that yielded an equalising score. Forced to share the spoils was a source of regret, a sense that hardened when they faded away to lose by eight at the hands of Waterford.
It changes the outlook now for Clare, increasing the pressure that hangs over them. The home game with Tipperary on 10 May now assumes huge significance, and regardless they will head to Limerick on 25 May needing a positive result.
Injuries have heaped on the difficulties for Clare. They operated without Conor Cleary and Shane O'Donnell last week, Diarmuid Ryan was an early withdrawal and then unavailable yesterday, while the hardest blow of all to take was the absence of Tony Kelly, the fulcrum of their team, in Walsh Park.
Getting figures back on the pitch is a key target for the next fortnight.
Related Reads
Liam Cahill: 'It is a difficult day for young Darragh. We all have his back in Tipperary'
Cork score 4-27 in Munster victory as Tipperary hit by early red card setback
Two-goal Bennett stars as Waterford open Munster series with impressive win over Clare
6. Another difficult day for Tipperary against Cork
That red card clearly impacted on the action, but the outcome was a familiar sinking feeling for Tipperary at the hands of Cork. For the third time in four seasons, Tipperary fell to a heavy loss against Cork – defeated by 12 points in 2022, by 18 points in 2024, and by 15 points yesterday.
They drew a thrilling game with Cork in 2023 but leaked four goals that night and in their last four championship meetings with the Rebels, Tipperary have shipped 15 goals. The pain from these beatings will linger, particularly when the league final reversal earlier this month is also factored in.
The positive plaudits for Tipperary after last week's draw were deserved. But the fact that Darragh McCarthy's last act last Sunday was to float over the levelling point, and his first act yesterday was to get sent-off, illustrated the contrasting emotions that they encountered in their Munster hurling week.
*****
Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here