Maybe it’s because we’re so used to seeing Kilkenny front and centre after most games but it seemed they spent an inordinate amount of time behind their dressing room door on Sunday.

Cork 1-21 Waterford 3-19: An afternoon of affirmations played itself out in Thurles yesterday as Cork were once more found wanting when confronted by the energy and wit of Waterford, who delivered the better championship performance.

The message Jimmy Barry Murphy is sending out by naming Aidan Walsh and Damien Cahalane is an obvious one. During last year’s league, he had privately mentioned he had too many greyhounds.

TODAY:

John Mullane is understood to have taken an indefinite break from inter-county hurling.

MICHAEL RICE has been named in the Kilkenny team to start against Waterford in tomorrow’s All-Ireland semi-final.

DAVY FITZGERALD, whenever he does depart Waterford, he’ll leave it in a much better state than he found it.

BEING taken to watch Waterford play Kilkenny in the All-Ireland hurling final of 1963 was a dream come true for a seven-year-old boy from Cappoquin.