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Exceptional. He made a very smart and important save from Neil Montgomery in the 13th minute when he spread out and made six good saves during the 70 minutes. Puckouts was precise and efficient as usual; Limerick won 19 of his 30 puckouts. He cemented his All-Star. 9
He gave the ball cheaply for Jack Fagan’s first scoring opportunity, but it was the only mistake. Adhesive all afternoon. Very creative in possession, especially when Limerick delivered the ball in his defense. Dessie Hutchinson gained a lot of possession but was limited to just one game point. 8
Any doubts about an alleged vulnerability in the position were emphatically quelled here. Very impressive in the first half, especially at the beginning, and he maintained that level of consistency throughout. He had seven possessions and he used them all wisely. Brightly defended. This display probably guaranteed an All-Star. 8
Very serene in possession and very smart in how the phase of play worked in the short Limerick puckout. Paired very smartly with Hayes throughout, but he defended hard and has gotten really comfortable in what looked like it could be a difficult transition for him trying to fill that position in the absence of Richie English. 8
Set the tone early with a clean and brilliant catch of a Waterford puckout over the head of Jack Fagan. He blocked a Stephen Bennett scoring opportunity in the 27th minute. Solid, physically imposing and composed throughout. He only made one of five shots, but got his usual point in the game later. 8
His best game of the season. After a difficult afternoon against Galway, he was commanding throughout and was dominant when Limerick had such a grip in the middle third. He got his trademark point in the first half when he advanced on the overlay. 8
He absolutely dominated the first half as he galloped across the field like a thoroughbred racehorse. He could have had a goal just for a brilliant save from Stephen O’Keeffe. He is almost the new generation of pitchers, combining supreme athleticism and devastating pace with pure class. He could have been the best player, only Hegarty was so amazing. 9
His possession numbers were only in the single digits, but he worked wildly and played a role in a string of turnovers in the middle.
He had an assist and was always agile and efficient when in possession. He rarely misses a ball and was always smart in how he put the play together. 7
Energetic and energetic as usual, he had the highest tackle count of any Limerick players. He also got his trademark point now, but was always ready to roll up his sleeves. When Waterford had cut the deficit to six points in the 48th minute, he forced Kevin Moran to take the lead and Gillane signaled the resulting free kick. 8
Nondescript and untouchable. He solidified his status as Hurler of the Year with one of the greatest individual final performances in all of Ireland. At seven game points, their ability to drift and ghost-ride around the field fooled Waterford and they were never able to control it. Amazing display. 10
In the first half it seemed that he was going to decorate the game with green flags or create goals with his witchcraft. He played a deeper role afterward when he worked hard on the field, but continued to pull the strings and finished with three assists. 8
Exceptional. On a normal afternoon, he would have been a stone wall player of the match, but still put in an extraordinary performance, scoring five points and holding a hand on five more points. He looked like a guy seeking atonement after being eliminated in the Munster final. Brilliant display. 9
I had a massive battle with Conor Prunty throughout. Prunty seemed to be on top on the long stages, but Gillane was always threatening, always making smart runs with the ball. He finished with four game points and was infallible on the balls laid. 8
He started the game very brilliantly with an excellent point, but then went out of the game and struggled to get his hands on clean possession. He nailed two points in the first five minutes after the restart. He kept showing for the ball. Rating: 7
He never turned around his fall in the form of the Irish semi-final and struggled for possession in his hands. I didn’t get a shot at the target. He had an assist for a point from Flanagan in the 40th minute before being pulled scoreless in the 49th minute. 6
His first touch was setting up Hegarty by one point. He then delivered the resulting puckout, faced Ian Kenny, and won a free kick that Gillane pointed out. He won another free convert soon after. 7
He came in with 11 minutes remaining and worked tirelessly in that time. He had a brilliant assist for Tom Morrissey’s last score. 7
He came in in the 63rd minute. He got possession and scored a point. 7
Not enough to qualify
Not enough to qualify
Their remarkable Cummins-like double save kept Waterford in a game that could have gotten away from them early on. But he was also forced to fall short in his puckouts much sooner than he would have wanted, as Limerick eliminated any chance his teammates could rule the skies like they did against Kilkenny. 7.5
The hard shot he took after 14 minutes was indicative of Waterford’s initial hesitation. He gathered just enough to keep his man off of him for the most part, but his inability to control a short puckout and subsequently concede a 50-minute free kick felt like the moment any hope of winning at Waterford was dashed.
He was replaced shortly after. 6
It was one of those matches where just because your man scored four points in the game didn’t mean he lost it. Such was the offer at Aaron Gillane, not even JJ Delaney or Noel Hickey in their prime could have done anything about it. For the most part, Prunty treats the Patrickswell man well and, at all times, bravely. 8
He came out well on the ball, sometimes even without hurley in hand, although an early free-kick he conceded epitomized just how much his team was behind from the start. 6.5
Obviously, it was the goal of a Limerick front group with the intention that it could not attack as it has done everything, we were going to say summer and winter, as it constantly ran into a green wall. He got more ball in the second half, aiming for a good score under the Hogan Stand, but chose to shoot Nickie Quaid a little too far, and like the rest of his field line, he struggled to deal with the brains and strength of the line. Limerick front stocking. 7
A bit like Gillane-Prunty inside, he and Cian Lynch were playing games long before their forced departure. There’s no room for fatalism at this level, and his replacement fit in well, but the sight of Waterford’s most influential player walking away so early reinforced the feeling that this wasn’t going to be his day. 6
As gallant as he was and always is, he just couldn’t stand up to that midfielder unit from Limerick, surely now the best line in the game now. He threw a world of ball in the third quarter, especially when he switched to the left wing to score a trademark point, but just when he thought his team still had a chance, he stepped forward to concede a soft free. 6.5
He never really got into the game, let alone run it as Waterford needed. For a player of his stature, this below-average performance won’t sit well with him for a long time. 6
He knocked down a good point when game scores were a prize for his team but peripheral for the most part and was substituted shortly after the restart. 6
It could have been a different game for him and everyone else if he had thrown that first minute shot into the net instead of wide. He won a pair of free hits on either side at halftime, but it was part of a flank that repeatedly couldn’t keep Kyle Hayes from shutting down on the ball. 6
As with Fagan, who was given that scoring opportunity early, it didn’t turn out much good thereafter. One of three Waterford forwards to remain scoreless. 6
His free take in the first half kept Waterford in the game, but it took one of his slightly forced shots on goal to beat Nickie Quaid if they ever wanted to save him. 7
He was constantly looking for the ball and looked sharp every time he got it, but Limerick regularly corner him off the field or to the side. Even so, he scored a point and won a pair of free practice games, but never carried the same goal threat that the entire championship has. 6.5
While Waterford would have liked him to be more involved in the first quarter, his sporadic contributions still produced a higher return than anyone else in white and blue.
The only Waterford player to score more than one point in the game; in fact, he’d end up with three, as well as slicing through a delicious side ball and landing a long-distance free kick. Waterforrd’s problem wasn’t that they needed a 9 out of 10 performance from him, it was that they needed more than 8 out of 10 from everyone else. 8
He continued to carry the fight to the end, winning a big puckout and a free kick immediately after the second water break, but another striker who did not make the record. 6
Impressed by the coldness with which he joined as a newcomer after De Burca’s departure. 7
He served and threw several balls around the D when his team was looking for goals. 6.5
He failed to have the kind of impact that he sometimes has in this championship. 6
He went on to get a goal, but I didn’t really smell it. 6 Shane Fives (for Kenny, 55): Like his other colleagues on the defense line, he helped keep Limerick scoreless, but was taken by a pair of wordy points. 6
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