What a difference a week makes for Cork and Clare

A remarkable afternoon of final round Allianz HLDivision 1A yesterday saw the table almost turn on its head.

Galway, Tipperary and Kilkenny, who had filled the last three spots before the 3pm throw-in, all qualified for the semi-finals having won their respective games.

At the start of the day, Clare and Cork were pencilled in for one semi-final as they filled the second and third positions. However, they will now face each other the weekend after next with the losers relegated to thedreaded Division 1B nextseason.

Waterford had topped the table after four rounds with five points and a win in Walsh Park yesterday would have seen them face the winners of the Division 1B final in a Division 1 last four game. However, their three-point defeat to Galway meant they lost out on third spot and a semi-final place to Galway on head-to-head differentiation.

It is the second year running Waterford have finished in fourth place, meaning their interest in the league is over and they must now wait nine weeks until their Munster quarter-final against Clare on June 2.

Tipperary will face thewinners of next weekend’sDivision 1B final between Limerick and Dublin, with that “quarter-final” game expected to be fixed for Semple Stadium next Saturday evening.

In a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final, Galway and Kilkenny will face one another in the other semi-final. Similar to last year, it’s likely the semi-finals will be played as a double-header in Thurles on Sunday, April 21.

Although Tipperary were in command throughout their game against Clare, things looked decidedly different for other teams at half-time in yesterday’s games.

With Cork and Kilkennylevel at the break and Galway ahead of Waterford by fiveat that stage, the sides in Nowlan Park would havefinished on five points along with Waterford but qualified ahead of them on scoredifference.