'There was a championship feel there': League finale the perfect preparation for Waterford

Waterford boss Liam Cahill was concerned about the potential toll taken in injuries to Austin Gleeson, Conor Prunty, and Shane Fives, but otherwise he was happy enough.

Conor Prunty of Waterford gets away from Seamus Callanan, left, and Jake Morris of Tipperary. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

The fine old tradition of out-of-town tryouts for musicals before they hit Broadway got a revival of sorts in sunny Walsh Park, as Waterford and Tipperary tried to fine-tune their teams in a dress rehearsal for the championship, now just a fortnight away for the former side.

Perhaps that’s why Waterford won, and with something to spare. The time for fine-tuning is extremely finite in their case, and the way they overran Tipperary in the second half suggested a team seeking to peak very soon indeed.