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Preview: All Ireland SHC S-F - Kilkenny v Waterford

Derek McGrath and Brian Cody following the 2015 All Ireland SHC semi final.

Derek McGrath and Brian Cody following the 2015 All Ireland SHC semi final.

Sunday August 7

All Ireland SHC Semi-Final

Waterford v Kilkenny, Croke Park, 3.30pm

By Cian O'Connell

A year ago Waterford exited the Championship at this exact stage. The Deise tested Kilkenny deep into the second half, but a moral victory wasn’t what Waterford craved.

What Derek McGrath and his promising young team wanted was the most prized scalp of them all. That remains the case.

Despite a wretched Munster Final when Tipperary cruised to a surprisingly facile victory, Waterford are back in the last four.

While the journey to this point hasn’t been smooth Waterford know that a measured display could steer them into an All Ireland decider.

Kilkenny, in trademark fashion, will treat the Waterford challenge with the utmost respect. Brian Cody isn’t placing too much emphasis on what occurred during the Waterford and Tipperary encounter last month.

Walter Walsh remains a key player for Kilkenny.

Walter Walsh remains a key player for Kilkenny.

“They would have had the experiences along the way of being in pressure situations where they didn’t perform as they wanted to perform,” Cody acknowledges.

“The Munster final, they had a pressure situation in the Munster semi-final against Clare this year and they came out of it terrifically well. They have everything in place – spirit, fitness levels, their ability to play the game they want to play and tweak the game they want to play.

“They have players who are really flexible and versatile. Very few players can do what some of those lads do.

“One minute they’re half-back and the next minute they’re half-forward during the same game almost nearly two or three times. It makes it difficult to counteract them. Look, they’ll be ready and we’ll be ready.

“I thought it was a great game last year. It was really up for grabs up to the very end. We got a crucial goal and take that goal out of it - it was in the melting pot, but it was in the melting pot anyway. Twelve months on, where will it go and what will happen? It’s very interesting.”

Cody isn’t overly concerned with how Waterford approach the match, the Kilkenny manager doesn’t want to place too much emphasis on talking about tactics or how to deal with systems. “Not really I don’t even think about it at all, they have 15 players and we have 15 players and it would be very, very strange if they weren’t able to deploy their forces in the way they want to deploy them so I never get bogged down thinking like that,” is Cody’s assessment.

Waterford midfielder Jamie Barron.

Waterford midfielder Jamie Barron.

“We tend to look at getting the best out of ourselves mores is what we’ve always tried to do and I’m sure that’s what we’re trying to do. I think you have two very good teams competing for a place in the All-Ireland final and it’s the same for the other semi-final.”

So the final four features the same collisions as 2015, Kilkenny v Waterford, and Tipperary v Galway. Two games that carry intrigue. A revealing match awaits. Can a pumped up Waterford trouble three in a row seeking Kilkenny?