A cat swimming in a blue and white sea

Waterford are a serious outfit now, they've banished the Croke Park demons that have kept them from the first Sunday in September for forty four years, and they'll be eager to prove that they can win more than just a Provincial title in any given year. It's still early August though, and if Limerick are anything this year, they're a form team. The trilogy of matches against Tipperary, their first Munster final date since 2001, and their unforgiving dismissal of old rivals, Clare, in the last eight, will stand to them going into this weekend. Richie Bennis has unleashed an army of slick, physical, determined, hurlers on the opposition five times already this season, and given that they were in touch with the Deise for over 60 minutes on 8 July, the forthcoming semi-final tees up yet another hard fought battle for GAA Headquarters this weekend. On the other side of the draw, Kilkenny have been immense since they lined out against Offaly two months ago, but they haven't reached their peak just yet. Every team has one big performance in them every season, a performance that showcases the full potential of the side, and we haven't witnessed that yet from Brian Cody's men. Not through any fault of their own, mind you. They simply haven't needed to go beyond third gear. 

Speaking to members of the Wexford back room team before the quarter-final throw in on Sunday 5 August, I got the feeling that a huge improvement on the Leinster Final was on the cards. Kilkenny won by double scores that day, (2-24 to 1-12), but what transpired in the All Ireland Semi-Final was an even more humiliating thumping for the Model County (0-23 to 1-10). Having said that, Damien Fitzhenry and his colleagues togged off for a place in the last two of the Championship, while Tipperary, Galway and Cork were ruthlessly denied that honour. Wexford manager John Meyler will feel that 2007 was an improvement on the previous year, and will head into the winter months looking forward to a Sunday afternoon in June, when they can begin the campaign to go one step further. Some of the other redundant outfits are in a little bit more turmoil heading into the off-season. Tipperary, for example, are without a manager, and some of their long-standing players are left wondering if they'll make the starting 15 next year. Ger Loughnane can't possibly know what his strongest team is, and if he does, it's a state secret. 

The Rebels are left reeling from and a bruising journey through the qualifiers, only to be dumped out of the Championship by the one team they wanted to avoid until September. The stark reality that they are no longer the best team in Munster is staring them in the face, and that's a difficult pill to swallow, for a team that have been in five of the last eight All Ireland Finals. So who will take the last All Ireland final spot? Limerick have had a two week break. They've had time for recovery, training and fine-tuning. Waterford are playing their third match in as many weeks, and the two outings proceeding this Semi-Final will have taken their toll on 20 plus tired bodies. Still, Tipperary faced the same challenge heading into their qualifying campaign, and managed to topple last year's beaten finalists. Deep down I know there's another serious performance in Limerick, but I think Waterford have too much all over the field for the Treaty men. The difference is that no matter what happens on Sunday,

Limerick have had a hugely successful Championship. Waterford simply have to get to the All Ireland, and possibly even win it, in order to chalk up a good year. I don't think there's a player in the country that deserves a medal more than Ken McGrath. You can see that he's a leader on the field, a role model in the dressing room, and a man that rallies his team when the going gets tough. Look at the drawn match against Cork two weeks ago. Up until very recently, that Waterford team would have dropped the heads, four points down with two minutes to go, but the Deicies are an altogether more determined outfit this year, and it's men like McGrath that epitomise that raw passion. Waterford's National League campaign has served them well, their clinical removal of Cork from both the Munster Championship and the All Ireland series, and the provincial silverware of 2007, have stirred an innate hunger in these players, and you just get the feeling that they'll refuse to surrender their day out at Croke Park in three weeks time. 

Regardless of who wins on Sunday, we can look forward to a brand new All Ireland final, but if Croke Park were to be split evenly between rival supporters that day, The Hogan Stand would resemble one massive Kilkenny jersey, and The Cusack would be a sea of blue and white! Evanne Ní Chuilinn is a reporter with RTÉ's ‘The Sunday Game' and a sports journalist for RTÉ Radio and TV Sport