For the first time since 1997, the All-Ireland Hurling final will be an all-Munster affair with Limerick taking on Waterford next month. 

Former Tipperary star Shane McGrath joined Joe Molloy on this evening's Off The Ball to break down Limerick's defeat of Galway and Waterford's epic comeback victory over Kilkenny at the weekend.

Liam Cahill's Waterford are within 70 minutes of potentially ending their 61-year wait to lift the Liam McCarthy after overturning an eight-point deficit to beat their neighbours Kilkenny by 2-27 to 2-23 on Saturday night.

The Deise shot nine wides and conceded goals to Martin Keogan and TJ Reid in the opening 35-minutes and McGrath says it their nervousness in that half was understandable.

"You've a lot of those Waterford lads who were playing their first inter-county senior game at Croke Park, I think there's only eight lads involved from the 2017 All-Ireland final.

"They looked very nervous, very tetchy and that was evident in Jake Dillon getting subbed off after 15 minutes. It took them that first quarter to settle and they powered on in that second quarter.

"From minute 30 to minute 36 they got that belief and out-scored Kilkenny by three points to one. Their mental strength impressed me most. When you're eight points down against Kilkenny and after playing three weekends in-a-row, everything seems harder.

"But they just stuck to the system, they trust the system, they trust each other and they have a great panel now. They believed in each other and they never gave in."

McGrath feels Waterford's ability to dominate in the air proved the platform for their victory.

"It was the greatest second-half performance from a Waterford team in the Championship ever and it's up there with the greatest-ever All-Ireland Hurling semi-final performances ever.

"In the third quarter, the Championship quarter as they call it in NFL, Waterford took 15 shots and scored 12. The score was 1-11 to 0-4 in that third quarter.

"Waterford did to Kilkenny what Kilkenny teams have been doing to others for so long. Waterford got 14 points from turning over Kilkenny. In the Brian Cody era Kilkenny have dominated teams aerially, they're so strong at winning primary possession and snapping the ball out of air.

"But Waterford won 11 of Kilkenny's puck-outs. Jack Fagan's two catches, they were the type of catches you would association with Kilkenny, they got two goals from winning the aerial battle, they were awesome at it."

29 November 2020; Cian Lynch, left, of Limerick with team-mate Diarmaid Byrnes following the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Limerick and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Limerick's chance t0 cement their legacy

Gearóid Hegarty's 0-4 from play helped Limerick overcome Galway by 0-27 to 0-24 in the other semi-final yesterday afternoon.

Limerick ended their own All-Ireland by being crowned champions two seasons ago and McGrath thinks John Kiely's side now have the chance to take the mantle of being the greatest ever hurling team from the Treaty County.

"This Limerick group of players would be very disappointed if they only win one All-Ireland," McGrath said of the reigning Munster champions.

"They've won five trophies in the last 27-months, back-to-back Munster titles, back-to-back Leagues and they'll be looking to cement themselves.

"If they win this All-Ireland are they the greatest Limerick team ever? They probably are. These lads have grown up with colleges medals, minor medals and under-21 medals. They've won the lot."

Galway struggled to retain possession from restarts and McGrath says their own puck-outs "killed them" during the last-four clash.

"They lost 13 of their puck-outs but they also also lost six of those puck-outs inside their own half. Limerick didn't lose any of their own puck-outs inside their own half.

"It's such a learning curve for (Galway 'keeper) Eanna Murphy, my heart goes out to him. He made a brilliant double save in the 40th-minute and another great save from Reidy. He'll learn from it."

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