Waterford and Tipperary will meet for a second time in 2023, but this time there will be far more riding on the game.
The two sides will lock horns in the All-Ireland Camogie semi-finals on July 22nd at Nowlan Park, following the quarter-final results which saw one of the other big guns bow out earlier than expected.
Cork had to fight tooth and nail to see their way past the defending champions Kilkenny. It was 2.14 to 2.13 in favour of the Rebels, despite the remarkable efforts of the Cat's captain Denise Gaule, who shot 1.10 in all.
Brian Dowling's team's hopes of claiming a second consecutive title came to a frustrating end.
Cork will be humming for their clash with Galway later this month, especially with both Aisling Thompson and Laura Hayes getting game time after lengthy injury spells.
Tipperary were always going to be the likely winner in their meeting with Antrim, and so it played out. The Premier flexed their muscles to hammer the Saffrons 3.23 to 0.6, booking themselves a final-four berth for the 6th time in seven years having missed the knockout stage entirely in 2022 after a disappointing campaign.
Those in attendance in Croke Park on Saturday could have been forgiven for thinking there was a game to be had at the halftime break. Tipp led, but only by five points (0.10 - 0.05), however, Denis Kelly's team turned the screw in the second period and were not to be denied. They held Antrim to a single point, scoring 3.13 in response, in what was a complete demolition at GAA HQ.
Cáit Devane was irresistible, nailing 2.06 with Eimear Heffernan getting the other goal. "I would be happy enough with my own girls, the second half especially," said manager Kelly. "Eimear Heffernan had a fabulous game, Caoimhe McCarthy, Mary Ryan all our subs came in there and made an excellent contribution and that is what you want."
Devane noted the value of getting a game on the big stage at Croke Park as they move on to their clash with the Déise, saying "our goal now has to be to reach the final. We have got to a number of semi-finals in recent years and then, didn't make the final."
Tipp are the only side to have beaten Waterford in 2023. That Munster Championship loss served as a reminder to Sean Power's Waterford that they can't afford to switch off, even for a moment. The scoreline in Páirc Uí Chaoimh back in May was 4.12 to 1.8, with Beth Carton shooting all but one point of Waterford's tally.
The Premier have only lost two games so far this season, both of them coming in the league - one to Kilkenny and one to Cork with just two and one points standing between Tipp and a win on both occasions.
They stormed through the Munster Championship, hammering Waterford en route to their 1.26 to 1.09 win over Clare in the final.
That Leeside hammering will have taken up some prime real estate in the Waterford player's minds and will surely act as fuel as they spend the next two weeks preparing for their trip to Nowlan Park.
Prior to the quarter-finals, the Waterford manager Sean Power spoke to WLR about the year to date. With all the success that's come so far, the former U21 and minor hurling All-Ireland winning manager says their sights are set firmly on the big prize.
"Selfishly for Waterford, I have my eyes on the big one. Is it going to be easy? No. Of course not. But, shur whatever is worth it isn't easy. These girls have their eye on something bigger. There have been a few of those girls around that dressing room quite a number of years now, maybe haven't got many more years late. As a group, we set our standards very high. They are fantastically high-achieving goals, whether you reach them or not. Some people say it's about the journey, for us though, it's about reaching the goal."
