Tipperary hurlers are facing 'a big, big game' against Waterford in the league

Tipperary’s hurlers will be hoping to get back to winning ways tomorrow, Sunday when they travel to Walsh Park to play table-toppers Waterford in the Allianz National League.
The game, which starts at 1.45 and will be shown live on TG4, will be a dress rehearsal for the opening game in the Munster championship round robin at the same venue on Easter Sunday, April 17.
Tipp suffered their first defeat of the league campaign last weekend when they were beaten by a point by Dublin in Thurles, which increases the pressure for a win in Waterford to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals on the last weekend in March alive.
“Waterford is a big, big game for us, and regardless of whether we are in the league mix-up it was always going to be big because we’re playing them in the championship in six weeks time so there’s a lot for us to work on,” Tipp boss Colm Bonnar has stated.
Bonnar will come up against his fellow county man Liam Cahill, who is in charge of Waterford for the third season. However, in a parallel universe each man could be managing the other team. Cahill, who famously guided his county’s minor, U21 and U20 teams to All-Ireland success in the space of four seasons, was twice linked to the Tipp senior manager’s job when vacancies arose in 2018 and last year.
Last August he confirmed that he would be staying as manager of the Waterford senior team for at least another year, after turning down the opportunity to manage Tipp.
Bonnar, meanwhile, is highly regarded in Waterford, having served as a selector and assistant coach under managers Gerald McCarthy and Justin McCarthy, including their 2-23 to 3-12 final win over his home county at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in 2002 to win the Munster Championship for the first time in 39 years.
Wins over Antrim and Laois and a draw with Dublin have pushed Waterford to the top of the division one group B table on scoring difference ahead of Dublin. Tipperary are third on four points and are ahead of Kilkenny, who have the same number of points, on scoring difference.
Tipp’s final match before the knockout stages will be at home to Antrim on Sunday fortnight, March 20, while Waterford will meet Kilkenny on the same day in UPMC Nowlan Park.
The referee on Sunday will be Cork official Colm Lyons.

All-Ireland winner tips Waterford hurlers to beat Tipperary in Walsh Park

Counties clash in Allianz National League in championship dress rehearsal