Let the serious stuff begin! It has taken a long time to get there but now we can really look forward to the knockout stages of the All-Ireland series. Eight of the best teams in the country have now qualified for the premier competition, while the battle for the one relegation spot will go right down to the wire. It has to be said that there are no surprises here and again based on provincial championship success, the top pairing of Kilkenny and Cork are right on course for another crack at the All-Ireland title. However, the draw for the quarterfinals has thrown up some very interesting pairings, most notably the meeting of Cork and Waterford. Having only played each other about eight weeks ago it seems crazy to me that they should meet again here as I was lead to believe that these two teams could not play each other again until the later stages of the championship id they had already crossed paths. Of course Waterford were expected to avoid that situation by beating Clare in their last game in Ennis but now having failed to do so must play Cork. It is a tough draw for Waterford but also one that Cork would not be happy with either. Munster Hurling Final Every hurling fan was eagerly looking forward to this game and a full house descended on Pairc Ui Chaoimh to make it a carnival atmosphere around the city before and after the game. Some people complain about the access to the pitch being difficult but I can tell you it is one of the best stadiums in the country to watch a game from and it lends itself to a wonderful atmosphere. The crowd are almost encroached on the pitch within the bowl shaped stadium and given the day that was in it with the sunny climate, you could almost cut through the tension with a knife. There have been many great tussles between these counties and even though this final did not live up to previous expectations, it still was a fascinating game and I suppose you could call it a game of 'two halves'. In the first half Cork were brilliant showing great composure and getting some wonderful scores to lead at half time by 11 points. Tipperary supporters surely thought their day was over and that they would be heading for the exits early, but that was not the way it worked out. The change in the games can be looked at in two different ways. What changed the performance of the Tipperary team and why did Cork take their foot off the pedal? With the pace Cork played at in the first half and with the humid conditions, it was going to be impossible to keep the same tempo going and there is no doubt that Cork were poor in the second half. But lets give credit to Tipp because they were a team inspired in the second period and the reason for this was the introduction of a physical presence in their half forward line. Up until then the half back line of Sean Og, Curran and particularly John Gardiner dominated proceedings but the strength of Redser O'Grady and John Carroll had a telling impact . Cork hung in there in the end but need to improve for the next game while Tipp will take a lot of encouragement from that second half performance and particularly that of Paul Kelly - the RTE man of the match. He would not have been my choice though as I felt John Gardiner was the outstanding player on view for seventy minutes. You won't be surprised by that; I am a Cork man after all. Leinster Hurling Final Kilkenny were red hot favourites for this one after the demolition of Offaly and most neutrals felt the same would happen with Wexford. What a great way it was to motivate your team for a final - written off in all quarters by press and media alike including myself. Wexford were not reading the script and the yellow bellies showed composure and skill that day that most felt was not in Wexford hurling, particularly after the severe defeat in last year's All-Ireland semi final. They played with great determination and pride and gave their huge support a wonderful 70 minutes of entertainment. Wexford showed that they never fear Kilkenny and took the game to them from the outset, but most of all had a defence that was not willing to concede goals. I have said it all season - if you can keep the goals out, you will remain in the match and that proved to be the case. Wexford also asked a lot of questions about Kilkenny and particularly their full back line. Panic though is a word not heard of in the Cats team and when things were tough and players were not performing, changes were made and it shows above anything else that this squad of players is stronger than any in the country and that could yet hold the key in September. The message is clear and loud, if you do not perform - you do not survive and there is no sympathy no matter who you are! One performer who stood head and shoulders above everybody that day was Tommy Walsh For a small man and a slight figure, he controlled the game and was the main reason why Kilkenny won this one. Relegation play-off Most observers predicted that Laois, Offaly, Dublin and Antrim would be battling for survival after these series of games and that has proved to be the case. Dublin will be encouraged by the performance against Offaly and Laois will feel that they have played enough good hurling this year under Paudie Butler to be confident that they can survive. On the other side the departure of Dinny Cahill from Antrim will either spell the end of top class hurling for them or unite them even further for one last stand. Offaly seem to have enough to survive along with Laois meaning the relegation spot should be fought out by Antrim and Dublin. I take Dublin to survive. All-Ireland quarter-finals To me it is a pity all four games could not be played over one weekend and make it a festival of hurling in the capital and really promote the game. Tweet

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