All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (Liam McCarthy Cup) 2021

Sad to see the Dublin challenge falter and kk win yet another title but hopefully when Dublin get their missing players back they'll put up a big fight in the quarters.

There was some awful deluded guff written in the Match programme of the Dublin v KK match yesterday. One was trying to make an argument that Leinster Hurling is competitive and we are on the cusp of a 'new era'. Just because there were three different consecutive winners of the Leinster title in three years for the first time since 2014.

But everyone knows it will be KK or Galway winning nearly every year, and maybe Wexford at a push for the next decade at least. Dublin might make the odd final if they managed to get a nice draw. But would they be serious contenders to beat a top KK/Galway side?

Who is codding who about Leinster hurlings competitiveness?

KK have went on long runs of successive wins in the last two decades -

98-03 (6 in a row)

05-11 (7 in a row)

Only thing stopping a 14 in a row was a last gap fluke win by Wexford.

14-16 (3 in a a row)

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The author seemed to pretend or delude himself that a couple of years counts as a 'new era'? Or was it just hope rather than expectation?

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Honesty, would anyone be surprised if KK did another 6 or 7 in a row?

No one would bat an eyelid.

I had a glance at the KK forum and they were not happy with the way with KK played (one dimensional etc) and yet KK won comfortably pulling up in the last 10 mins or so. And this is supposed to be a 'poor' functional KK team. Yet they won Leinster while keeping Dublin at arms length for half of the game and not really having to 'up' it. Never having to go through the gears.

I think given that Kilkenny have won a single Minor All Ireland in 11 years, no Under 20/21 title for 13 years, while Galway have won the last four All Ireland Minor titles people probably would be surprised if Kilkenny won 6/7 in a row.

To be fair compared to the 2000s when there was no Galway, and Wexford, Offaly and Dublin were usually hammered in Leinster and also in the qualifiers by Munster opposition it is a new era. After all Kilkenny beat Wexford only after extra time and a Dublin team which was weakened before and after the start, and fell down during the game in its most basic aspects (rising the ball efficiently, scoring frees).

Those on the Kilkenny forum can see the team's limitations and they're not far wrong.

In this heat the bench will be crucial and limericks bench is phenomenal. Should be a good game, both teams easily could meet again in Croker next month.

This heat will have a big impact on this game. Hard to know if the older Tipp lads can keep going at the pace required or whether the limerick running game could be an achilles heel on a day like today.

Limerick should have had a free in, instead of out. Poor decision from the referee.

paidi maher for a big man... can go down very easily when it suits him... he wasnt touched there by flanagan and down he goes

Limerick will need to score 20pts plus in the second half to win. In this heat and against tipp in this form I dont think its possible. Forde could hit 10 himself and I see tipp getting at least 1 more goal.

If tipp had taken their chances they'd be out of sight.

Jaysus there were no "soft" frees given in that half of hurling.

Your one on the RTE panel sounds like she's Gilbert Gottfried's sister.