Shane Stapleton

Some of the comments on this are top top 😁😉

@patr70193 Last time Limerick played against a team that went down to 14 men in championship action, they lost. Losing a man doesn’t always decide a game.

@ShaneSaint Without the sending off Limerick win that game comfortably by 4 or 5 points, played with 14 for what last 20 mins and were level heading into added time, what game were you watching?

What a game! Credit to both teams. Cork created a glut of goal chances and eventually took two. Limerick didn’t have the same threat close to goal and their single major never should’ve hit the net (loss of Gillane explains a lot about lack of threat). What a test for Limerick to face into Clare without Gillane and Lynch.

Love these 😆

Horrendous news for Ciaran Joyce and Cork. Rob Downey injury not ideal but he’ll be back this season. Everything working out lovely for Clare. Play Limerick without Gillane and Lynch, along with Cork without Joyce and Downey. Doesn’t mean The Banner will win these games, but it helps.

@ThomasKeane1973 How so? Those wides remain cruel.

@ShaneSaint The commentators curse

Tipperary up by 11 at half time, and it’s great to see the energy back in their play. Waterford not playing so well but some of their wides have been cruel.

@sheamus_roche I’m low enough this evening!

@ShaneSaint You sound delighted Shane

Tipperary didn’t need to go long just before this clip starts, and then it needed players in the defence to filter back quicker for the break. Obviously it’s easy to say it from here. Waterford were alive in that moment, and fair play to Kevin Mahony for finishing it. x.com/GAAPlusOfficia…

Tipperary had a number of chances to get settling scores just the second half, and too often it was the wrong decision or poor execution. Waterford’s shooting in that first half was poor and had to improve, which it did. Jekyll and Hyde stuff from both teams.

As expected, plenty of changes to the Tipperary team originally named.

Unforgivable for that to get through those Cork men and into the net!!

Unreal by Brian Hayes and clinical by Alan Connolly. What a goal. Big test of Limerick after their glut of wides before this.

Limerick v Cork group game last year was a complete dud. Surely we’re going to get a cracker here today!

When you realise that Offaly might actually be in the shake-up for Leinster this year (⁦@mlverney⁩)

With the naming of the Tipperary and Cork teams, the hurling championship feels like it’s finally here.

@fotoole13 @mlverney Only if Verney promises to sing “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” as the cup is raised

@ShaneSaint Are you bringing the cup onto the pitch before throw in on Sunday, serenaded by @mlverney on hurling?

Cork team named for Tipperary game: Patrick Collins Niall O'Leary, Ciaran Joyce, Sean O'Donoghue Eoin Downey, Rob Downey, Mark Coleman Tim O'Mahony, Tommy O'Connell Darragh Fitzgibbon, Shane Barrett, Barry Walsh William Buckley, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes

Fantastic win for Limerick. Resisted a comeback from a Cork team that beat them in two finals last year. Aaron Gillane is some yoke.

Cork collapsed in the second half of last year’s All-Ireland final, and the opening half of their first national was heading in the same direction for ~20 minutes. So long as the game doesn’t get badly away from them again, there’s positives for Ben O’Connor. If The Rebels were to win after that start, it’s potentially huge. Limerick started like a train and may finish that way. They’re awesome in top gear. Seeing what their energy levels are like coming down the stretch will be very interesting. Attritional and absorbing stuff. Side note: impossible to referee games like this and get everything right.

What a mad goal!!