In recent years the All-Ireland hurling semi-final weekend has thrown up some enthralling spectacles and we could be in for two more classics in Croke Park over the next 24 hours.
First up is the showdown between Leinster champions Kilkenny and Munster finalists Waterford.
Here’s how Brian Cody and Liam Cahill’s sides are named to start, but expect a couple of late changes before throw-in.
Kilkenny
1. Eoin Murphy (Glenmore)
2. Conor Delaney (Erin’s Own)
3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels)
4. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan)
5. Padraig Walsh (Tullaroan)
6. Cillian Buckley (Dicksboro)
7. Paddy Deegan (O’Loughlin Gaels)
8. Conor Browne (James Stephens)
9. Conor Fogarty (Erin’s Own)
10. John Donnelly (Thomastown)
11. TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
12. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan)
13. Billy Ryan (Graigue-Ballycallan)
14. Richie Hogan (Danesfort)
15. Eoin Cody (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
Waterford
1. Stephen O’Keefe (Ballygunner)
2. Ian Kenny (Ballygunner)
3. Conor Prunty (Captain) (Abbeyside)
4. Shane McNulty (De La Salle)
5. Calum Lyons (Ballyduff Lower)
6. Tadhg de Burca (Clashmore/Kinsalebeg)
7. Kevin Moran (De La Salle)
8. Jamie Barron (FourMileWater)
9. Jake Dillon (De La Salle)
10. Jack Fagan (De La Salle)
11. Kieran Bennett (Ballysaggart)
12. Stephen Bennett (Ballysaggart)
13. Dessie Hutchinson (Ballygunner)
14. Austin Gleeson (Mount Sion)
15. Jack Prendergast (Lismore)
Who do you fancy to prevail today?
Poll Results:
Waterford players arriving in Croke Park this evening.
The national anthem is over and we’re just about ready to go here.
Both teams started as selected.
Kilkenny 0-1 Waterford 0-0
1 min – John Donnelly is fouled and TJ Reid opens his account from the free.
Two early wides for Waterford.
Kilkenny 0-2 Waterford 0-0
3 mins – Donnelly is fouled again after making a fine catch. Reid slots it between the posts.
Kilkenny 0-3 Waterford 0-0
6 mins – Mossy Keoghan drops a lovely point from distance. This is some start by Kilkenny here.
Kilkenny 0-3 Waterford 0-1
7 mins – After Reid misses a routine free, the Deise counter and Calum Lyons slots it between the posts.
Kilkenny 0-4 Waterford 0-2
8 mins – Austin Gleeson hits Waterford’s fourth wide of the night. Moments earlier Richie Hogan opened up his account.
Kilkenny 0-4 Waterford 0-2
10 mins – Gleeson switches a sideline cut to Jack Prendergast for a lovely score.
GOAL! Martin Keoghan hits an early goal for Kilkenny!
Kilkenny 1-4 Waterford 0-3
11 mins – Richie Hogan got in behind the Deise defence and his strike was well-saved by Stephen O’Keeffe. It fell to Keoghan, who flicked it up and finished low into the net. At the far end Stephen Bennett points a free after Gleeson was fouled.
Kilkenny 1-5 Waterford 0-3
13 mins – Reid with another free to extend the Kilkenny lead to five.
Kilkenny 1-5 Waterford 0-3
We’re at the first-half water break. A number of wides from the Cats leave Waterford in this game, just. The Deise are taking too much out of the ball and look nervy out there.
GOAL! @kilkennyclg
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) November 28, 2020
Richie Hogan's shot is brilliantly saved, but Martin Keoghan is there to finish off the rebound.
Watch highlights at 9.30pm Sunday on @rte2
Watch live on @rte2 and the @rteplayer now #rtegaa https://t.co/czuXxifNjS pic.twitter.com/jShnUw9oLL
Liam Cahill is making an early change with Neil Montgomery replacing Jake Dillon after just 17 minutes.
Kilkenny 1-5 Waterford 0-4
18 mins – Lyons bursts forward and pulls back a score from distance for Waterford. They’ve improved since the water break but need to keep taking their scores.
Kilkenny 1-7 Waterford 0-4
21 mins – Hogan draws a free and Reid sends over their first score since the 14th minute. Eoin Cody adds a score after Reid intercepts a Waterford defender. Minutes earlier, Montgomery and Gleeson hit successive wides for Waterford during a brief purple patch.
Kilkenny 1-7 Waterford 0-5
21 mins – A goal chance for Waterford results in Bennett scoring a free.
GOAL! TJ Reid scores Kilkenny’s second goal of the first-half.
Kilkenny 2-7 Waterford 0-6
24 mins - Reid has 1-4 to his name already. Bennett responds with a free.
Kilkenny 2-7 Waterford 0-7
24 mins – Gleeson picks out Dessie Hutchinson for his opening score of the day.
Kilkenny 2-8 Waterford 0-7
27 mins – Reid’s free extends the Kilkenny lead to seven. Gleeson hits another wide at the far end.
Kilkenny 2-9 Waterford 0-7
29 mins – Reid applies the finish from another free, this one from midfield.
Fantastic finish in the back of the net from @KilkennyCLG's TJ Reid! pic.twitter.com/kCJ3ka9ADs
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 28, 2020
Kilkenny 2-10 Waterford 0-7
30 mins – Donnelly picks up and slots over after a missed Lyons pick-up.
Nine wides now for Waterford.
Kilkenny 2-10 Waterford 0-9
32 mins – Bennett puts over a free from a really tight angle. Then he produces a great solo run and pulls back another point.
Kilkenny 2-11 Waterford 0-9
34 mins – Reid again from a free. Waterford could do with a goal before half-time here to give them some hope.
Kilkenny 2-11 Waterford 0-10
35 mins – Bennett slots over a free to finish the half.
Kilkenny 2-11 Waterford 0-10 – HT
Kilkenny are in complete control at the interval. Waterford need to pull off something special if they’re to pull this one out of the fire. Realistically they need two or three second-half goals.
Kilkenny 2-12 Waterford 0-10
36 mins – Eoin Cody scores the first point of the second period.
GOAL! Stephen Bennett pulls one back for Waterford.
Kilkenny 2-12 Waterford 1-10
37 mins – Lovely finish from Bennett after a Jack Fagan catch. He felt a hook coming behind him and dropped the ball to the ground before striking it on the half volley to the net.
Kilkenny 2-12 Waterford 1-11
39 mins – Bennett with a fine catch and score. Waterford are starting to motor now.
Kilkenny 2-13 Waterford 1-13
40 mins – Reid points a free to extend the lead to five again. Gleeson scores a nice point and then Bennett slots over a wonder score. Three point game all of a sudden.
Kilkenny 2-13 Waterford 1-14
41 mins – Hutchinson draws a free after a foul from Conor Delaney and Bennett reduces the gap to two.
Kilkenny 2-14 Waterford 1-14
42 mins – We’ve a great game on our hands now as Cillian Buckley opens his account for the Cats.
Kilkenny 2-14 Waterford 1-16
45 mins – Jack Prendergast with a point for the Deise and then Shane McNulty reduces the gap to one.
Jack Fagan and Stephen Bennett work excellently together to get @WaterfordGAA's first goal of the All-Ireland Semi-Final! pic.twitter.com/H2sAYS0iZh
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 28, 2020
Jack Fagan and Stephen Bennett work excellently together to get @WaterfordGAA's first goal of the All-Ireland Semi-Final! pic.twitter.com/H2sAYS0iZh
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 28, 2020
Kilkenny 2-15 Waterford 1-16
45 mins – Richie Hogan with a vital point for Kilkenny. Colin Fennelly is introduced for Billy Ryan. Walter Walsh replaced Keoghan earlier in the half.
Kilkenny 2-15 Waterford 1-17
49 mins – Jamei Barron has Waterford within a point again.
Kilkenny 2-15 Waterford 1-18
50 mins – Gleeson levels the game. This has been a sensational second-hal by the Deise.
Kilkenny 2-15 Waterford 1-20
51 mins – Neil Montgomery sends Waterford in front and Hutchinson doubles the lead. They believe now!
Kilkenny 2-15 Waterford 1-21
53 mins – Montgomery puts Waterford three in front as we enter the second-half water break.
12-point turnaround for Waterford since half-time.
Kilkenny 2-16 Waterford 1-21
54 mins – Reid nails a pressure free from inside his own half.
Kilkenny 2-16 Waterford 1-21
56 mins – Gleeson wins a free on the sideline and Bennett sends the free wide.
Richie Hogan has been replaced by Niall Brassil.
CHANCE! Brassil goes close with a goal chance but O’Keeffe manages to put him off and it goes narrowly wide.
Kilkenny 2-17 Waterford 1-22
58 mins – Fagan tags on another score for Cahill’s side. Reid wins a free from the puck-out and converts from under the Cusack Stand.
GOAL! Darragh Lyons sensationally sends Waterford five ahead.
Kilkenny 2-17 Waterford 2-22
60 mins – Reid responds with a free. Fagan set-up that Lyons goal with another fine catch from a puck-out.
Kilkenny 2-18 Waterford 2-23
63 mins – Bennett puts over a key point to bring his tally to 1-10 for the day.
Kilkenny 2-19 Waterford 2-23
64 mins – Donnelly reduces the gap to four. Huge last few minutes now.
Kilkenny 2-20 Waterford 2-23
66 mins – Huw Lawlor makes a fantastic catch and Reid makes it a three-point game.
Kilkenny 2-21 Waterford 2-23
67 mins – It’s down to two now after a Reid score from way out the field. Patrick Curran comes into the fray for Waterford, instead of Fagan who enjoyed an outstanding game.
Kilkenny 2-21 Waterford 2-24
68 mins – Gleeson wins a ball in the ruck and puts over a sensational effort. Then Curran hits a poor wide that might have sealed the game.
Kilkenny 2-21 Waterford 2-24
69 mins – Walter Walsh is fouled as he drives through on goal and Reid makes it a two-point game again as we enter stoppage-time.
Ger Aylward hits a wide from the corner. Kilkenny needed that.
Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 2-25
72 mins – Ian Kenny pops over after a great ball by Conor Gleeson. Paddy Deegan hits back immediately. Two minutes of stoppage-time left.
Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 2-26
73 mins – Tadhg de Burca makes a fine catch and drills over a massive effort.
Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 2-27
74 mins – Gleeson seals it for Waterford!
Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 2-27 – FT
Unbelievable second-half by Waterford and they’re into the All-Ireland final.
