Munster hurling: History on Cork's side in round-robin do-or-die games against Waterford

Last Sunday’s game at TUS Gaelic Grounds confirmed that Limerick would be advancing from the Munster SHC to the All-Ireland series.

This year is the sixth season in which the provincial round-robin has been in operation – 2018-19 and 2022-25, with a two-year Covid-19 hiatus – and the Shannonsiders hold a perfect record in terms of advancing.

Prior to this year, Cork had an 80 percent hit-rate (2023 the sole exception), with Clare having also managed four from five, missing out on scoring difference against Cork and Limerick in 2019.

Tipperary were two from five, taking advantage of those aforementioned Cork and Clare failures, while Waterford stand alone among the Munster hurling counties in not yet having progressed. That stat is made extra unusual by the fact that, during the return to knockout action in 2020 and 2021, the Déise made the All-Ireland final and semi-final respectively.

Of the ten different Munster matchups, games between Limerick and Waterford have been the most lopsided in the round-robin era, with the Treatymen winning all six of the counties’ encounters (as well as three games during the Covid-impacted years, incidentally).

Every other fixture has seen each side triumph at least once, though Cork-Waterford is one of the more unbalanced pairings. In 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023, Cork won – twice at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, once each in Thurles and Walsh Park – before Waterford redressed things slightly on home soil last year. Again, though, a 2020 Munster semi-final win for the Suirsiders falls within that period but outside the round-robin.

Solace from a Cork point of view comes from the fact that the 2024 opening defeat was not fatal – they qualified and Waterford didn’t – while the 2018 match in Thurles and the 2022 game in Walsh Park had the ‘must-win’ tag applied and the Rebels came up with the goods.

The first of those encounters was played at Semple Stadium as Walsh Park was being redeveloped and, like Sunday, it was the last round of fixtures. 

Cork had secured qualification but needed victory to reach the Munster final whereas Waterford were already out but they certainly didn’t take it easy.

Pauric Mahony’s points helped them to lead by 0-15 to 0-11 at half-time as Cork were uncharacteristically sluggish.

With the wind behind them in the second half, Cork eventually drew level at 0-16 each when Patrick Horgan coverted a 65 but Waterford responded with a Tommy Ryan goal. Cork stayed in touch and Mark Coleman’s point had them within two before Séamus Harnedy struck for a goal with five minutes left.

Still Waterford weren’t done as Mahony put them in front again with a pair of frees but Shane Kingston levelled and Cork definitively got on top in the closing stages, Bill Cooper prominent as Horgan, Harnedy and Colm Spillane pointed for a 1-23 to 1-20 victory.

BACK TO BACK

A record of two wins and two draws gave Cork top spot – the only time that has happened – and they would go on to beat Clare in the Munster final for the second year in a row.

Four years later, however, defeats at home to Limerick and ‘at home’ to Clare (it was Cork’s turn to have Thurles as a home venue with the Páirc unavailable) left Kieran Kingston’s side vulnerable ahead of a trip to the south-east for a repeat of the league final.

Having won that, Waterford were seen as Limerick’s likeliest challengers but the formbook was to be upset.

Cork’s opening point put Horgan top of the all-time hurling championship scoring charts as they responded from a slow start and it was 0-6 each when Darragh Fitzgibbon drove forward and fed Robbie O’Flynn. His shot was saved by Shaun O’Brien, but Alan Connolly was there to tap home the loose ball.

Waterford came back well with 1-4 on the trot – Michael Kiely netting following a Patrick Collins save from Patrick Curran – to move 1-10 to 1-6 in front, but it was not a definitive surge.

Fitzgibbon was instrumental in Cork’s strong finish to the first half and Horgan and sub Shane Kingston added points on the resumption to make it 1-14 to 1-11.

Tim O’Mahony, on for Horgan, had a big impact and Cork stayed on top, even though Waterford were back to a point, 1-16 to 1-15, by the 52nd minute. The second goal was crucial, as O’Mahony and Harnedy combined to set up Kingston, who unselfishly flicked across goal to the waiting Connolly.

While subs Peter Hogan and Montgomery replied for Waterford, they wasted other opportunities. Cork’s defence didn’t look like coughing up the goal Waterford needed and Conor Lehane and Harnedy added late points to secure a six-point win, 2-22 to 1-19.

The Rebel faithful would certainly take a similar outcome on Sunday.