Kilkenny and Waterford meet for a second successive year in the GAA hurling All-Ireland semi-final to decide who plays Galway or Tipperary in the final.
Next Sunday’s throw-in at Croke Park will be at 3.30 and the game will be preceded by the Dublin-Limerick minor semi-final (1.30).
Kilkenny are bidding to reach the final for the 10th time in 11 years, having missed out in 2013. They are also seeking to reach the final for the 16th time in 19 seasons, having lost out in 2001-05-13 only.
Their last All-Ireland semi-final defeat was in 2005 when they went down to Galway.
Waterford are bidding to reach the final for the first time since 2008. They have since lost semi-finals in 2009-2010-2011-2015.
PATHS TO THE SEMI-FINAL
Kilkenny 1-25 Dublin 0-16 (Leinster semi-final)
Kilkenny 1-26 Galway 0-22 (Leinster final)
KILKENNY SCORERS
TJ Reid 0-20 (0-14 frees, 0-2 ’65)
JJ Farrell 2-9
Richie Hogan 0-5
Walter Walsh 0-4
Conor Fogarty 0-4
Michael Fennelly 0-3
Cillian Buckley 0-2
Colin Fennelly 0-1
Padraig Walsh 0-1
Lester Ryan 0-1
John Power 0-1
Waterford 1-21 Clare 0-17 (Munster semi-final)
Tipperary 5-19 Waterford 0-13 (Munster final)
Waterford 0-21 Wexford 0-11 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
WATERFORD SCORERS
Pauric Mahony 0-20 (0-15 frees)
Austin Gleeson 0-10 (0-3 l/b)
Maurice Shanahan 1-4
Patrick Curran 0-5 (0-3 frees)
Kevin Moran 0-3
Shane Bennett 0-3
Jamie Barron 0-2
Jake Dillon 0-2
Brian O’Halloran 0-2
Michael Walsh 0-2
Philip Mahony 0-1
Darragh Fives 0-1
HEAD-TO-HEAD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
This will be the 12th championship meeting between Kilkenny and Waterford. Kilkenny won nine of the previous eleven to Waterford’s one while there was one draw. Waterford’s sole success came in the 1959 All-Ireland final replay.
2015: Kilkenny 1-21 Waterford 0-18 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2013: Kilkenny 1-22 Waterford 2-16 after extra-time (Round 3 Qualifiers)
2011: Kilkenny 2-19 Waterford 1-16 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2009: Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 3-15 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2008: Kilkenny 3-30 Waterford 1-13 (All-Ireland final)
2004: Kilkenny 3-12 Waterford 0-18 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1998: Kilkenny 1-11 Waterford 1-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1963: Kilkenny 4-17 Waterford 6-8 (All-Ireland final)
1959: Waterford 3-12 Kilkenny 1-10 (All-Ireland final replay)
1959: Waterford 1-17 Kilkenny 5-5 (All-Ireland final draw)
1957: Kilkenny 4-10 Waterford 3-12 (All-Ireland final)
LAST FIVE ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINALS
KILKENNY
2015: Kilkenny 1-21 Waterford 0-18
2014: Kilkenny 2-13 Limerick 0-17
2012: Kilkenny 4-24 Tipperary 1-15
2011: Kilkenny 2-19 Waterford 1-16
2010: Kilkenny 3-22 Cork 0-19
WATERFORD
2015: Kilkenny 1-21 Waterford 0-18
2011: Kilkenny 2-19 Waterford 1-16
2010: Tipperary 3-19 Waterford 1-18
2009: Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 3-15
2008: Waterford 1-20 Tipperary 1-18
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP CLASH
Kilkenny 1-21 Waterford 0-18 (2015 All-Ireland semi-final)
A goal by TJ Reid in the 17th minute set Kilkenny on their way to a 1-9 to 0-10 lead at half-time. They led by three points with 15 minutes remaining before adding another four points while Waterford could manage only one.
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Paul Murphy, Joey Holden, Shane Prendergast; Padraig Walsh, Kieran Joyce, Cillian Buckley (0-1), Michael Fennelly (0-1), Conor Fogarty; Walter Walsh, Richie Hogan (0-5), TJ Reid (1-9, 0-7 frees); Ger Aylward (0-4), Colin Fennelly, Eoin Larkin (0-1).
Sub: J Power for W Walsh
Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Tadhg De Burca, Austin Gleeson (0-3, 0-1 line ball), Philip Mahony; Jamie
Barron, Darragh Fives; Kevin Moran (0-1), Shane Bennett (0-1), Jake Dillon; Maurice Shanahan 0-9 (0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65’), Michael Walsh, Colin Dunford (0-4).
Subs: Patrick Curran for Dillon; Stephen Bennett for Shane Bennett.
LAST COMPETITIVE CLASH
Waterford 0-14 Kilkenny 0-10 (Allianz Hurling League, 14 February 2016, Walsh Park)
Waterford shot 18 wides but still managed to win in the opening round of the League on a cold, windy afternoon. Waterford led by 0-8 t0 0-6 at half-time.
Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Austin Gleeson, Darragh Five, Philip Mahony; Colin Dunford, Jamie Barron; Kevin Moran, Shane Bennett, Michael Walsh; Patrick Curran, Maurice Shanahan, Jake Dillon.
Sub: Brian O’Halloran for Curran.
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Paul Murphy, Joey Holden, Shane Prendergast; Padraig Walsh, Kieran Joyce, Diarmuid Cody; Cillian Buckley, Conor Fogarty; Walter Walsh, Richie Hogan, TJ Reid; JJ Farrell, Colin Fennelly, Mark Kelly.
Sub: James Maher for Kelly.
- This will be the 17th time that Brian Cody has led Kilkenny into the All-Ireland semi-final since taking over as manager for the 1999 season. They have won 14 of the previous 16, with their only defeats coming against Galway in 2001 and 2005. 2013 was the only season they didn’t qualify for the semi-final under Cody.
- Waterford are seeking their first championship win over Kilkenny since the 1959 All-Ireland final replay.
- Kilkenny’s last defeat in an All-Ireland semi-final was against Galway in 2005. Since then they won in 2006-07-08-09-10-11-12-14-15. They missed out in 2013, having been beaten by Cork in the quarter-finals.
- Kilkenny’s 2016 League and Championship record is as follows: Played 9, Won 7, Lost 2.
- Waterford’s 2016 League and Championship record is as follows: Played 11; Won 6, Drew 2, Lost 3.
2016 GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
LEINSTER
ROUND ROBIN
May 1: Round 1: Westmeath 2-22 Offaly 1-11, TEK, Cusack Park; Kerry 2-19 Carlow 0-17, Tralee.
May 7: Round 2: Westmeath 1-18 Kerry 1-13, Tralee; Offaly 1-17 Carlow 2-11, O’Connor Park.
May 15: Round 3: Westmeath 0-22 Carlow 2-15, Netwatch Cullen Park; Offaly 3-19 Kerry 0-20, O’Connor Park.
May 21: Quarter-final: Dublin 2-19 Wexford 0-12, Croke Park.
June 5: Quarter-final: Galway 3-27 Westmeath 0-19, TEG Cusack Park; Offaly 3-22 Laois 2-14, Tullamore.
June 11: Semi-final: Kilkenny 1-25 Dublin 0-16, Portlaoise.
June 19: Semi-final: Galway 2-19 Offaly 2-9, O’Moore Park.
July 2: Final: Kilkenny 1-26 Galway 0-22, Croke Park
MUNSTER
May 22: Quarter-final: Tipperary 0-22 Cork 0-13, Semple Stadium
June 5: Semi-final: Waterford 1-21 Clare 0-17, Semple Stadium
June 19: Semi-final: Tipperary 3-12 Limerick 1-16, Semple Stadium.
July 10: Final: Tipperary 5-19 Waterford 0-13, Gaelic Grounds
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
July 2: Qualifiers – Round 1: Wexford 1-21 Offaly 1-13, Innovate Wexford Park; Limerick 1-24 Westmeath 0-18, TEG Cusack Park, Clare 5-32 Laois 0-12, Ennis; Cork 1-26 Dublin 1-23, Pairc Ui Rinn.
July 9: Qualifiers – Round 2: Wexford 0-23 Cork 1-17, Thurles; Clare 0-19 Limerick 0-15, Thurles.
July 24: Quarter-finals: Waterford 0-21Wexford 0-11, Thurles; Galway 2-17 Clare 0-17, Thurles.
August 7: Semi-final: Kilkenny v Waterford, Croke Park
August 14: Semi-final: Tipperary v Galway, Croke Park.
September 4: Final, Croke Park
