Limerick did the necessary but improvement needed for Cats clash 

They didn’t always impress but they found a way to win despite, as their manager put it, the kitchen sink being flung at them.

WORK-ONS: Limerick manager John Kiely during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

The function of an All-Ireland semi-final is obvious, but not for the reason you might think.

Contrary to popular belief the purpose of the game is not to provide contestants for the All-Ireland final, but to provide a pretext for warming up one of the great sports cliches: that semi-finals are for winning.