AFTER AN afternoon cold enough to threaten the 6,000 or so present in Nowlan Park with extinction, the weather had turned benevolently sunny as Liam Sheedy reflected on the latest step in Tipperary's season, which now goes to next week's semi-final stage after yesterday's defeat of holders Waterford.

It is assumed their opponents will be Kilkenny with Galway - whom Tipp have already played - facing Cork in the other semi-final but that has to be confirmed later today by the Central Competitions Control Committee.

Sheedy was pleased both with the result and the nature of the test yesterday.

"Both sides wanted to win," he said. "With the way the gap before the championship is I'm sure Waterford would have liked another match next week. We're delighted to get another good game, whether it's Kilkenny or Galway - it'll be top-class opposition."

He acknowledged that hurling wasn't easy on an unseasonally cold afternoon with a maverick wind gusting down the pitch.

"It was difficult for the forwards to create the space because the ball was carrying in a swirling breeze.

"Waterford found that in the second half. Just because you had the breeze didn't mean that it was easier to get scores because everything just became so crowded."

"The only thing that was a little disappointing is in the second half that the ball was going in and coming back out again but it's still only early April and we've loads of stuff to work on."

The defence of his team's title over, Waterford manager Justin McCarthy was focusing on smaller details and the bigger picture with the championship now just weeks away.

"I was pleased enough with the first-half display. There were some great passages of play and some great, hard hurling. We needed a goal maybe to ignite the team but that wasn't going to come easy.

"They're probably ahead of us slightly in sharpness. They're that bit more eager. I think we're going in the right direction. We're a small bit off the pace at the moment but we've a bit of time on our hands to sort it out."

Once again there were subdued performances from some of the team's bigger names with Hurler of the Year Dan Shanahan drawing a blank once more yesterday.

Was McCarthy concerned about the form of key players?

"I am. That happens with players in a lot of sports. We have to look at it and they'll have to rest a bit too and get back their appetite. But appetite is something you can pick up if you have the interest in doing it and it's up to us to motivate them again."

Of the campaign overall he admitted that retaining the NHL title hadn't been uppermost in his mind at the start of the year.

"We never had full teams and we tried out fellas here and there and I suppose the Cork thing threw us a bit, that we were short that match at that time although we played them last week and it was a lively game.

"Having said that it wasn't our real focus entirely because some players wanted a bit of a break from last year. Our main focus of course at all times is the championship."