"I thought we probably deserved to be four or five ahead (at half-time). Disappointed with that but when you play Galway, they're not going to let go. They were working really hard out there. The thing I like about it from our side was that when the game got in the melting pot we put down the heads and went again which was great."

Davy Fitzgerald hailed the spirit displayed by his Model County charges in Saturday's quarter-final victory over Galway.

"That's what we want. Genuinely. When I came into the squad first, under Liam Dunne, we were playing in Division 1B for years and we were crying out to be playing these teams. We couldn't get practice matches against the Corks, the Kilkennys of this world. It's great, we want those games."

Wexford star Diarmuid O'Keeffe is relishing another battle with the Cats.

"When we went down to 14 men it was obviously going to be a struggle, but I can't fault the boys for their heart or their effort. They gave it a right good go with 14 men, we're disappointed to exit the league but there are positives."

Micheál Donoghue and the Tribesmen didn't go down without a fight.

"We'll be talking to them tomorrow. We've been at all of their games and have been very impressed by a lot of lads. They are in serious form."

Dublin boss Pat Gilroy will be making contact with Cuala's All-Ireland Club winning heroes.

"We are getting to the climax of the league and we certainly want to be involved. These are great games for us. Even the chance to come up here and play in Croke Park is really good for fellas. Some of the lads in our 26 today have never been here in any other capacity than a supporter."

Michael Ryan has blooded a number of future Tipperary stars in this year's league campaign.

"It's still subjective whether we're a great team but you have to win it back to back to be put into that category. Now there's a few facts backing that up. It's good company to be in."

Captain Paul Schutte and his Cuala club-mates confirmed their status as 'a great team' in Saturday's replay final victory over Na Piarsaigh.

"To be playing against a group such as Cuala over in the other dressing just shows the standard of club hurling is at a higher level. it's just absolutely ridiculous the way it's gone. The physique of the guys, the pace of the hurling, the quality of it, is just absolutely superb. We definitely know we were involved in two epic games."

Na Piarsaigh manager Shane O'Neill was spot on with his observation.

"I'd just like to acknowledge this group, what they've put in the last four years, what they've done in Dublin, what they've done in Leinster and now they're after putting back-to-back All-Irelands here tonight. The management set-up, the backroom people, there's such a huge group of people making Cuala what they are today and they all deserve such great credit."

Mattie Kenny sung the praises of everyone involved in the Cuala success story.

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