In-form Waterford likely to deliver Liam Cahill’s first league title

Allianz Hurling League final preview  
Cork v Waterford

Both teams will have taken a good deal out of the league campaign. Cork rehabilitated after last summer’s All-Ireland trauma, got the win over Limerick, and have looked fast and on song in most of their matches.

Waterford manager Liam Cahill has worked hard to deepen the panel and can now be said to have options in most positions. They also both had impressive wins in their semi-finals, setting up a first meeting at this stage in seven years.

The blot on Waterford’s copybook was the lack of engagement in Nowlan Park when they were under pressure, but maybe they get a pass for already having all but qualified.

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They opened their campaign with a draw in Parnell Park against a Dublin team hopping after a big Walsh Cup win but salvaged a draw, in the process impressing Dubs full-forward Ronan Hayes.

“They play a style very similar to ourselves: tackling and intensity and their want to turn you over and punish you on that. They’ve nailed that down this year and really hurt teams. They hurt Wexford with their running game [in the semi-final] and got in behind them.”

Scoring machine

A feature of their performances has been the scoring machine exploits of Stephen Bennett, who returns after missing the Kilkenny and Wexford matches.

Calum Lyons returns but Jamie Barron is still not ready and may not return until the championship is under way. Conor Prunty is also back in what is a very strong selection by Cahill as he pursues a first win in a third final after the Munster and All-Ireland defeats by Limerick in 2020.

Of course they are also short Austin Gleeson after his red card last week, a suspension unchallenged by the county presumably on the grounds that Cahill wants to see how they’ll manage in his absence but also to make the point that this stuff can’t be endlessly tolerated.

Cork weathered a bad start against Kilkenny and absorbed physical pressure without getting knocked off their stride. Darragh Fitzgibbon’s performance, recognised by the man of the match award, included the assassin’s touch that finished off Kilkenny.

A couple of injuries in defence will be a concern for Kieran Kingston but they sealed the deal with Patrick Horgan having left the field and still registered the necessary scores.

They’re still a work in progress, whereas Waterford now need something tangible to go with all of the plaudits for being “the second best” team of the past two years.

They’ve clearly added a goal scoring sensibility and look primed. Cork have some in-form forwards but probably not their opponents’ all-court power game.

Verdict: Waterford

Division 2A

Down v Westmeath. 4.45 – Down did really well to make the final with a comeback defeat of Kerry, who Westmeath then dispatched in the semi-final but their opponents have more experience of big days and can look forward to the Leinster round robin.

Verdict: Westmeath