Each county's potential route to the Munster hurling final

As they prepare for their ‘bye round’ in the Munster SHC, Cork can be safe in the knowledge that they will go into their last match, at home to Clare on Sunday week, May 24, top of the round-robin table.

Three wins from three – the first time the county have managed such a feat – leave Cork on the verge of a second straight appearance in the provincial final.

If Clare do not beat Tipperary in Thurles this Saturday night, then the Rebels’ passage to the decider as table-toppers will be confirmed, as Limerick would be the only other county able to reach the six-point mark and Cork would have head-to-head advantage on the Shannonsiders in the event of a two-way tie.

Should Clare triumph at FBD Semple Stadium – as they have done in their three previous visits in the round-robin era – and Limerick beat Waterford on Sunday, then the possibility of Cork not making the Munster final would remain alive heading into the last match.

In such circumstances, a win or a draw would confirm Ben O’Connor’s side in first place – the first time since 2017 and 2018 to make consecutive deciders.

Even if Clare beat Tipp and Limerick overcome Waterford and then Tipp, there is a chance that defeat to the Banner would not stop Cork reaching the final. When more than two teams are tied, scoring difference determines the order and, at present, Cork hold a +10 figure in that regard with Clare’s heavy loss to Limerick leaving them on -9.

Unfortunately for Waterford, hopes of reaching the final ended with Sunday’s loss to Cork at Azzurri Walsh Park, but there are not yet out of the reckoning to finish third and take an All-Ireland quarter-final spot.

It is still a tall order for the Déise, however. They need to beat Limerick in Limerick this Sunday – and that is the only fixture to have had the same outcome in every edition of the round-robin, with the Shannonsiders’ six wins allied to Munster and All-Ireland final triumphs in 2020 and an All-Ireland semi-final in 2021. The last Waterford win against the Treatymen was in 2011.

Were Peter Queally’s men to bridge that gap, they would need Tipp to beat Clare and then lose Limerick as well as Cork beating Clare. On top of all of that, it would also be required to stay ahead of Tipp on scoring difference.

For Tipp, the route to the final exists but does not allow for any further errors: if they beat Clare on Saturday and then Limerick on Sunday week, the Munster decider would be a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland, with Cork hosting as the last ‘old firm’ meeting was in Thurles in 2006.

A win for Tipp in Thurles against Clare – something they have yet to do in the round-robin era – would eliminate the Banner from final considerations and cast the Limerick-Tipp game as a semi-final to meet Cork.

If Cork were to play Limerick or Tipp in the decider, it would be in Cork, as would a Clare-Limerick match-up; a Cork-Clare clash would be in Limerick.