Croke Park hosts the first of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland semi-finals on Sunday when neighbours Kilkenny and Waterford clash 3.30pm
Kilkenny are bidding to reach the final for the sixth successive year while Waterford last reached the final in 2008. This will be the third championship clash between the two in four seasons.
Paths to the semi-final
Kilkenny
Kilkenny 1-26 Wexford 1-15 (Leinster semi-final )
Kilkenny 4-17 Dublin 1-15 (Leinster final )
Average For: 2-23, Average Against: 1-15.
Kilkenny’s top scorers
Henry Shefflin: 1-18
Michael Rice: 1-6
Richie Hogan: 1-3
Eoin Larkin: 1-3
Richie Power: 0-5
Waterford
Waterford 3-15 Limerick 3-14 (Munster semi-final )
Tipperary 7-19 Waterford 0-19 (Munster final )
Waterford 2-23 Galway 2-13 (All-Ireland quarter-final )
Average For: 2-18; Average Against: 4-16
Waterford’s Top Scorers
Pauric O’Mahony: 0-27
John Mullane: 2-6
Shane Walsh: 2-6
Stephen Molumphy: 0-4
Previous Kilkenny-Waterford championship clashes
This will be the ninth championship meeting between Kilkenny and Waterford. Kilkenny won six of the previous eight to Waterford’s one, while there was one draw. Waterford’s sole success came in the 1959 All-Ireland final replay.
2009: Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 3-15 (All-Ireland semi-final )
2008: Kilkenny 3-30 Waterford 1-13 (All-Ireland final )
2004: Kilkenny 3-12 Waterford 0-18 (All-Ireland semi-final )
1998: Kilkenny 1-11 Waterford 1-10 (All-Ireland semi-final )
1963: Kilkenny 4-17 Waterford 6-8 (All-Ireland final )
1959: Waterford 3-12 Kilkenny 1-10 (All-Ireland final replay )
1959: Waterford 1-17 Kilkenny 5-5 (All-Ireland final draw )
1957: Kilkenny 4-10 Waterford 3-12 (All-Ireland final )
Flashback: Last championship clash
2009 All-Ireland semi-final
Kilkenny 2-23
Waterford 3-15
A fascinating shoot-out between Henry Shefflin and Eoin Kelly (they scored 2-24 between them ) ended with Kilkenny clinching a place in the final for a fourth successive year.
Shefflin landed 1-6 from open play and 0-8 from placed balls while 1-8 of Kelly’s 1-10 total came from placed balls. Kilkenny led by six points at half-time but a Waterford goal by Shane Walsh (his second ) and a point by Kelly cut the margin to two but Kilkenny struck back and went on to win by five points.
Kilkenny: PJ Ryan; Michael Kavanagh, JJ Delaney, Jackie Tyrrell; Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, John Tennyson; Cha Fitzpatrick (0-1 ), Michael Rice (0-1 ); Eddie Brennan (1-2 ), Martin Comerford, Eoin Larkin (0-2 ); Richie Power (0-1 ), Henry Shefflin (1-14 ), Aidan Fogarty (0-1 ).
All-Ireland semi-finals shorts
Brian Cody is bidding to steer Kilkenny to the All-Ireland final for the 11th time since he took over as manager at the end of 1998.
Kilkenny reached the final in 1999-2000-2002-2003-2004-2006-2007-2008-2009-2010, missing out in 2001 and 2005 when they lost semi-finals to Galway.
Waterford are in the semi-final for the fourth successive year. They have a poor return in semi-finals, losing seven of eight since 1998. Their sole success came in 2008 when they beat Tipperary.
Kilkenny beat Waterford by 2-16 to 1-13 in the Allianz League in Nowlan Park on March 27 last. Richie Hogan scored 0-7, TJ Reid and Colin Fennelly 1-2 each for Kilkenny, while Richie Foley was Waterford’s top scorer on 0-7; Shane Walsh scored their only goal.
