Kilkenny 3-18 Tipperary 0-15
Kilkenny will play Cork in next month's All-Ireland hurling final after a comfortable 12 point victory over Tipperary at Croke Park this afternoon.
After a somewhat timid start, the reigning champions upped their performance after the break to outscore their opponents 3-9 to 0-4 in the second period.
The two sides fought out a cliff hanging league final in May - Kilkenny won 5-14 to 5-13 - and a repeat performance looked on the cards as both teams traded scores blow-for-blow during a frantic first half.
But Kilkenny, after biding their time, turned the game on its head after the re-start and never looked back as Tipperary's well built platform of the first half was cruelly undone by a fiercely determined Kilkenny team.
Kilkenny's indiscipline in the opening stages cost them as Eoin Kelly punished time and again from the dead ball. Add together his two from play and Kelly had scored all five of Tipperary's scores by the 15th minute.
But despite his accuracy in front of the posts, Tipperary could not pull away from their opponents and despite being starved of quality ball to their full forward line, Kilkenny kept in touch and were level at 0-8 to 0-8 after 25 minutes.
Henry Shefflin and Eddie Brennan were the most prolific of the Kilkenny attackers with the former registering the majority of his scores from frees.
However, Tipperary, spurred on by their formidable half-back line, edged back in front when Conor Gleeson and Eddie Enright put them 0-11 to 0-9 ahead - a scoreline they would carry to the break.
Kilkenny came out for the second half with renewed hunger and a clear message that they would not relinquish their All-Ireland title without a fight. But despite their best efforts, Tipperary could never force a battle as the Leinster side shifted gear and eased past their rivals with consummate ease.
DJ Carey, so isolated in the first half, opened his scoring account with a brace of 65's minutes within minutes of the restart. Those scores lifted the sizeable Kilkenny presence in the stands and that in turn inspired their heroes on the field.
Eddie Brennan, a menace throughout, jigged his way through a static and dazed Tipperary defence on 45 minutes to beat Brendan Cummins - himself a man-of-the-match candidate - from close range for the opening goal and edge Kilkenny into a one point lead. It would prove a lead Tipperary could never bridge.
Kilkenny led by four when Tommy Walsh goaled with 20 minutes to play. The wing forward needed two opportunities though to find the net as Cummins pulled off a string of amazing saves to first deny Brennan and then Walsh at the first attempt.
From that point on, Kilkenny never looked back and Shefflin, scorer of seven points to that point, added a goal in the final minute to seal a comfortable, convincing victory and set up the final paring that most anticipated. Kilkenny and Cork meet on September 14th.