Defining day for galway hurlers

WITH Kilkenny safely through to yet another All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final — their 14th in 17 years — and Waterford’s resurgence, the story of the season in many respects at an end, attention shifts to the second semi-final meeting involving Galway and Tipperary at Croke Park on Sunday (throw-in 4 o’clock).
It’s a match that has captured the public imagination and when it comes to Galway and Tipperary in championship, there’s always a special edge. The last two meetings between the counties in 2010 and 2014 produced a total of 13-71. With so much attacking flair and mercurial talent on display, and plenty more to come off the bench, Sunday afternoon has the potential for even more fireworks.
The summer has failed to ignite so far. The football championship has been mired in one-sided matches and blanket defences that have stifled the game’s most creative talents. Its hurling equivalent has been without its usual quota of high octane encounters, too.