If it was this feisty in March, imagine what it will be like come the last round of the Munster Championship when a year’s work may be on the line.
In the end, a Jake Morris hat-trick helped Tipperary win decisively to book a League semi-final spot with a game to spare and maintain Liam Cahill’s perfect start having moved from Waterford in the close season.
Already, Tipp have won more games in 2023 than they managed in all of last year.
While obviously the better side on the night, the game turned decisively in their favour in a four-minute period midway through the second half in which they scored 2-2 without reply, with a straight red card for Waterford’s Jamie Barron in the middle of it as a result of an off the ball incident with Conor Stakelum.
There was an edge to the game all evening, however, and it was hardly surprising that there weren’t 30 on the field come the finish.
“I think the honesty of the match and the physical stakes were really good,” said Cahill. “These boys train hard and we’re always trying to bring our training game out onto the field.
“We’d like to think we play the way we train. There was lots of intensity in that game tonight for a game in March.
“Weather conditions weren’t where they would be come May when we do battle again. It’s just a nice little taster I suppose of what’s coming down the tracks.”
“We ended up getting beaten by 10 points but I didn’t think we backed down,” insisted his opposite number Davy Fitzgerald, who felt his side lost their shape after the red card, thereby allowing the floodgates to open somewhat.
“I thought we rose to the challenge for a lot of that and I know Liam will certainly be looking forward to it later in the year and so will we. I’m telling you now, them guys are fighters.”
Tipperary steadied after a somewhat shaky start as Waterford hit the first three points and butchered a goal chance, with Morris then coolly slotting his first in the seventh minute.
Tipp pushed seven clear by the 33rd minute but Waterford rallied to leave it at 1-12 to 0-11 at half-time and when Fitzgerald deployed an extra man in defence with Tadhg de Burca the free man, the visitors got on top in the third quarter, regaining the lead on three separate occasions.
But Morris struck for his second goal in the 55th minute, just before Barron was dismissed, and sub Conor Bowe hit another goal immediately; there was no way back for Waterford from there.
With their bench making a huge impact, particularly Jason Forde, who hit 0-6, Tipp romped home, with Morris completing the set in the 68th minute.
“I don’t think we can have complaints about the red card like, he reacted,” conceded Fitzgerald. “That’s fine. A reaction is a reaction so we’ll have to take our medicine on that.
“Seamus Kennedy had a high tackle and got a tick. Like, if there’s a high tackle I think it’s a small bit more than a tick and all we want to see is the same cross the line, that everyone is treated the same way,” he added, while also suggesting that his side should have had a free out in the run up to the critical second goal.
Fitzgerald let out a sigh when questioned about Waterford’s walking wounded. By half-time, Conor Prunty and Austin Gleeson had been withdrawn with hamstring injuries, which wouldn’t previously have been a significant worry in early March.
But, with the new schedule, they start their Munster Championship campaign against All-Ireland champions Limerick as soon as April 23.
“You’re looking from three to six weeks and Prunty’s a big loss to us,” said Fitzgerald. “We’re in a race against time with the Limerick game and missing two or three of them… like Mikey Kiely will be touch and go whether he makes it back or not.
“Darragh Lyons probably won’t be back so we are down a few bodies but no excuses, we’ll be ready to go in April.”
Cahill, meanwhile, admitted that managing against his former charges was “difficult”.
“You don’t realise until you go analyse Waterford properly during the week how good they really are,” he said. “When you think of all the key players they have and the big performers they have, it’s a difficult task.
“I know one or two of them got injured early on tonight which probably had a big bearing on the game as well but there’s no doubt Waterford will be a dangerous animal come Championship.”
Cahill won a League title with Waterford last year and won’t turn his nose at the prospect of another with his native county.
“There’s a lot being written and said about the National League and it is a fairly intense nature week after week.
“Obviously, if you get to a final it’s only two weeks to the first round of the Munster Championship where ultimately every team is judged in the summer.
“Look, the League is a national title. I have a lot of respect for the League. I’m fortunate enough to have been part of a team that won two of them as a player. They’re national titles. Not too many players have them.
“At this stage, we’ll be going after it and we’ll be doing our best to try to get to a final and try to win it.”
They have the luxury of already being in a semi-final, something Fitzgerald says his side will chase down away to Kilkenny next Sunday.
He added: “If we win it we’re in a semi-final so I’ll be trying to win it. The team I have out on the field will be the strongest team. Anyone that’s not injured that can play from my first team will be going out.”
