After a hugely exciting Allianz Hurling League campaign, it’s down to the final action when Tipperary and Galway clash in the Division 1 decider in the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick next Sunday (3.30).
It will be their first meeting in the Allianz Hurling League final since 2008, when Tipperary won by two points, in what was their last triumph in the competition. They have lost three finals since then, all against Kilkenny in 2009-2013-2014.
Galway last reached the final in 2010, beating Cork to take the title for a ninth time. Tipperary lead the way on the honours’ table, having won the Allianz League 19 times. They are attempting to win the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 title after taking the All-Ireland title last year for the first time since 1965.
Galway and Tipperary last met in the Allianz Hurling League in March of last year when they drew in Pearse Stadium. They later clashed in the All-Ireland semi-final in August, when Tipperary won by a point, having lost to the Tribesmen by a similar margin in the 2015 semi-final.
It’s the third successive year that the final is between teams from 1A and 1B, with the 1B representatives (Waterford in 2015 and Clare in 2016) taking the honours.
This will be the 10th Allianz Hurling League final clash between Galway and Tipperary, with the westerners leading 5-4 from the previous nine.
HOW THEY REACHED THE FINAL
TIPPERARY
Tipperary 1-24 Dublin 1-8 (1A)
Tipperary 1-18 Waterford 0-15 (1A)
Tipperary 0-28 Clare 0-21 (1A)
Tipperary 2-17 Kilkenny 3-14 (1A)
Cork 0-26 Tipperary 3-16 (1A)
Tipperary 4-28 Offaly 3-13 (Quarter-final)
Tipperary 5-18 Wexford 1-19 (Semi-final)
Top Scorers
Seamus Callanan..........4-34 (0-22 frees, 0-4 ‘65s’)
John McGrath...............5-21 (0-8 frees)
Noel McGrath...............2-10
GALWAY
Galway 6-23 Offaly 1-12 (1B)
Wexford 1-21 Galway 3-13 (1B)
Galway 3-31 Laois 1-11 (1B)
Galway 1-22 Kerry 0-12 (1B)
Galway 0-24 Limerick 1-18 (1B)
Galway 2-22 Waterford 2-19 (Quarter-final)
Galway 1-21 Limerick 1-11 (Semi-final)
Top Scorers
Joe Canning.......3-38 (0-22 frees, 0-2 ‘65s’, 3-0 pens)
Jason Flynn.......2-21 (0-14 frees, 0-2 ‘65s’)
Conor Cooney....2-16
PREVIOUS ALLIANZ LEAGUE FINAL MEETINGS
1931: Galway 4-5 Tipperary 4-4
1975: Galway 4-9 Tipperary 4-6
1979: Tipperary 3-15 Galway 0-8
1989: Galway 2-16 Tipperary 4-8
1994: Tipperary 2-14 Galway 0-12
1996: Galway 2-10 Tipperary 2-8
1999: Tipperary 1-14 Galway 1-10
2000: Galway 2-18 Tipperary 2-13
2008: Tipperary 3-18 Galway 3-16
ALLIANZ GAA HURLING LEAGUE ROLL OF HONOUR (DIV 1)
19 – TIPPERARY (1928-49-50-52-54-55-57-59-60-61-64-65-68-79-88-94-99-2001-2008)
17 – Kilkenny (1933-62-66-76-82-83-86-90-95-2002-2003-2005-2006-2009-2012-2013-2014)
14 – Cork (1926-30-40-41-48-53-69-70-72-74-80-81-93-98)
11 – Limerick (1934-35-36-37-38-47-71-84-85-92-97)
9 – GALWAY (1932-51-75-87-89-96-2000-2004-2010)
4 – Wexford (1956-58-67-73)
4 – Clare (1946-77-78-2016)
3 – Waterford (1963-2007-2015)
2 – Dublin (1929-39-2011)
1 – Offaly (1991)
