It remains one of the great days on the GAA's hurling calendar as the cream of Munster hurling assembles for the final, with the winners heading directly into the All-Ireland semi-finals while the losers try their luck in the quarter-finals. This year, it's the turn of Tipperary and Waterford to enjoy the big day in Pairc Ui Chaoimh next Sunday (4.0).

Tipperary are bidding to retain the title, having beaten Waterford by seven goals in last year's final. Tipperary also beat Waterford in the 2009 final, leaving the Deise men seeking their first championship win over their great rivals since the 2008 All-Ireland semi-final. The last competitive clash between the counties was on March 18 last when Tipperary won an Allianz League game by 0-31 to 2-15 in Semple Stadium. This will be the 41st meeting in the championship between Tipperary and Waterford with results so far going 29-10 to Tipperary with one draw.

How they got here...
Tipperary 2-20 Limerick 1-19
Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-24
Tipperary's Top Scorers
Pa Bourke.............1-19 (0-11 frees, 0-3 '65s')
Noel McGrath.....1-7
Brian O'Meara...1-4
Waterford...2-17 Clare 1-18

Top Scorers
Maurice Shanahan....0-7 (0-5 frees)
Shane Walsh..............1-1
John Mullane.............0-3

Last year....
Tipperary 7-19 Waterford 0-19 (Munster final, Pairc Ui Chaoimh)
A disastrous day for Waterford who were wiped out by Tipperary's goal burst late in the first half. Lar Corbett struck their first goal in the 4th minute and by the half-hour mark, Tipperary led by 1-10 to 0-7. Goals by Eoin Kelly, Seamus Callanan and Corbett (2) sent Tipperary on their way to a 5-10 to 0-8 lead at half-time. Kelly added Tipperary's sixth goal in the 54th minute and Corbett netted his fourth and Tipperary's 7th in the 66th minute.

Tipperary: Brendan Cummins; Paddy Stapleton, Paul Curran, Michael Cahill; John O'Keeffe, Conor O'Mahony, Padraic Maher; Gearoid Ryan (0-1), Shane McGrath; Noel McGrath (0-2, 0-1 line ball), Seamus Callanan (1-0), Patrick Maher; Eoin Kelly 2-6 (0-3 frees), John O'Brien (0-3), Lar Corbett (4-4). Subs: Pa Bourke (0-2) for Callanan; Benny Dunne for Ryan; Shane Bourke (0- 1) for Noel McGrath; Brendan Maher for Padraic Maher; Darren Gleeson for Cummins.

Waterford: Clinton Hennessy; Jerome Maher, Michael Walsh, Noel Connors; Darragh Fives, Kevin Moran; Richie Foley, Stephen Molumphy (0-1); Eoin McGrath, Shane O'Sullivan (0-1), Pauric Mahony (0-13, 0-12 frees); John Mullane (0-1), Shane Walsh (0-1), Brian O'Sullivan. Subs: Jamie Nagle for Maher; Liam Lawlor for Fives; Maurice Shanahan for McGrath; David O'Sullivan for Foley; Eoin Kelly for Brian O'Sullivan.

Last Five Championship Clashes
2011: Tipperary 7-19 Waterford 0-19 (Munster final)
2010: Tipperary 3-19 Waterford 1-18 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2009: Tipperary 4-14 Waterford 2-16 (Munster final)
2008: Waterford 1-20 Tipperary 1-18 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2006: Waterford 1-22 Tipperary 3-13 (All-Ireland quarter-final)

Previous Munster final clashes
2011 - Tipperary 7-19 Waterford 0-19
2009 - Tipperary 4-14 Waterford 2-16
2002 - Waterford 2-23 Tipperary 3-12
1989 - Tipperary 0-26 Waterford 2-8
1963 - Waterford 0-11 Tipperary 0-8
1962 - Tipperary 5-14 Waterford 2-3
1958 - Tipperary 4-12 Waterford 1-5
1925 - Tipperary 6-6 Waterford 1-2
Tipperary 6 Waterford 2

Previous Munster title wins
Tipperary: 39 (1895-96-98-99-1900-06-08-09-13-16-17-22-24-25-30-37-41-45-49-50-51-58-60-61-62-64-65-67-68-71-87-88-89-91-93-2001-2008-2009-2011)
Waterford: 9 (1938-48-57-59-63-2002-2004-2007-2010)

ALL-IRELAND HURLING QUALIFIERS (PHASE 3)
Wexford v Cork, Thurles. Saturday, 5pm
They meet for the first time in the championship since the 2004 All-Ireland semi-final when Cork, runners-up in Munster, beat Wexford, then Leinster champions by 1-27 to 0-12. The counties also clashed in the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final when Cork won a replay by 3-17 to 2-7 after the first game had ended level (Cork 2-20 Wexford 3-17). Wexford's last win over Cork in the championship was in the 1956 All-Ireland final which they won by 2-14 to 2-8.

Last Five Championship Clashes
2004: Cork 1-27 Wexford 0-12 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2003 Cork 3-17 Wexford 2-7 (All-Ireland semi-final replay)
2003: Cork 2-20 Wexford 3-17 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1977: Cork 1-17 Wexford 3-8 (All-Ireland final)
1976: Cork 2-21 Wexford 4-11 (All-Ireland final)

2012 Championship
Offaly 2-12 Wexford 1-13 (Leinster quarter-final); Wexford 3-22 Westmeath 2- 9; Wexford 4-12 Carlow 0-14 (All-Ireland qualifiers). Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-24 (Munster semi-final); Cork 1-26 Offaly 2-16 (All- Ireland qualifiers)

Clare v Limerick, Thurles, Saturday, 7pm
They meet in the championship for the first time since 2008 when Clare won a Munster semi-final clash by 4-12 to 1-16 in Thurles. However, they met twice in this year's Allianz Hurling League (Div 1B) with Clare winning both games. They out-scored Limerick by 2-24 to 1-13 in the opening round on February 25 and repeated their success, albeit with a narrower margin, in the final on April
7, winning by 0-21 to 1-16. They also met twice in the 2011 League with Limerick winning on both occasions.

Last Five Championship Clashes
2008: Clare 4-12 Limerick 1-16 (Munster semi-final)
2007: Limerick 1-23 Clare 1-16 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
2006: Clare 2-21 Limerick 0-10 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
1996: Limerick 1-13 Clare 0-15 (Munster semi-final)
1995: Clare 1-17 Limerick 0-11 (Munster final)

2012 Championship
Waterford 2-17 Clare 1-18 (Munster semi-final); Clare 1-16 Dublin 0-16 (All-Ireland qualifiers).
Tipperary 2-20 Limerick 1-19 (Munster quarter-final); Limerick 6-21 Laois 1-11; Limerick 8-26 Antrim 1-15
(All-Ireland qualifiers)

GAA HURLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP 2012
LEINSTER
May 19: Preliminary Round: Westmeath 0-14 Antrim 0-12, Mullingar; Laois 0-20 Carlow 0-13, Dr. Cullen Park.
June 2: Quarter-finals: Offaly 2-12 Wexford 1-13, Tullamore; Dublin 3-23 Laois 1-7, Tullamore.
June 3: Quarter-final: Galway 5-19 Westmeath 4-12, Mullingar.
June 17: Semi-final: Galway 5-23 Offaly 3-15, Portlaoise.
June 23: Semi-final: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9, Portlaoise.
July 8: Final, Galway 2-21 Kilkenny 2-11, Croke Park.

MUNSTER
May 27: Quarter-final: Tipperary 2-20 Limerick 1-19, Thurles.
June 17: Semi-final: Waterford 2-17 Clare 1-18, Thurles.
June 24: Semi-final: Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-24, Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
July 15: Final: Tipperary v Waterford, Pairc Ui Chaoimh

ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIERS
June 23: Preliminary phase: Wexford 3-22 Westmeath 2-9, Wexford Park; Limerick 6-21 Laois 1-11, Gaelic Grounds.
June 30: Phase 1: Wexford 4-12 Carlow 0-14, Wexford Park; Limerick 8-26 Antrim 1-15, Gaelic Grounds
July 7: Phase 2: Cork 1-26 Offaly 2-16; Clare 1-16 Dublin 0-16.
July 14: Phase 3: Wexford v Cork, Thurles; Limerick v Clare, Thurles
July 28/29: All-Ireland quarter-finals: Kilkenny and Tipperary or Waterford v Phase 3 winners.
August 12: Semi-final: Galway v quarter-final winners, Croke Park.
August 19: Semi-final: Munster champions v quarter-final winners, Croke Park.

September 9: Final, Croke Park. Tweet

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