GAELIC GAMES:WE ANTICIPATED and expected a Tipperary victory, but nobody could have foreseen the size of this winning margin or just how comprehensive the performance would be. It was a masterclass.

And, coming as it did after the markers thrown down by Kilkenny in last week’s Leinster final and the improvement shown by Galway in the qualifiers, the sheer quality of Tipperary’s win in yesterday’s Munster final over Waterford sends out a statement of its own: that this team deserve to be All-Ireland champions and that the quest for back-to-back titles is driving them on.

There was so much to admire in this display from Tipperary, an unbelievable performance. Seven goals? I can’t ever remember Tipperary scoring so many goals in any match, never mind a Munster final against a team who went in with genuine aspirations.

The job was done before the half-time whistle even sounded and I thought the forward line were outstanding: their movement, skill and ball-winning ability was of the very highest standard, epitomised by Larry Corbett’s predatory instincts.

The full-forward line of Corbett, Eoin Kelly and John O’Brien were just fantastic and the Waterford defence had no answer. I thought the way that Waterford set up from the start was a mistake and they paid a very heavy price.

The rumour mill had it known that Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh could be playing at full back. For me, it was a backward step from the word go for Waterford. It sent out the signal that they weren’t confident of going with Brick at centre half back.

Okay, he’s had his problems with Noel McGrath in past matches but he is still one of the best centre half backs in the country and he actually did quite well when he moved out there in the second half. The damage, though, was done at that stage.

Waterford’s defensive line-up was a mistake. Walsh was at sea at full-back, Jerome Maher was in trouble and so, too, Darragh Fives. Noel Connors fought hard but was always under fierce pressure from Eoin Kelly. No, putting Walsh at full-back was a negative move; and, whatever chance they would have had in keeping the ball out of their full-back line by having him play further out, was lost from the get-go.

This was a big performance from Tipperary and the perfect reply to Kilkenny’s impressive win over Dublin. Indeed, Kilkenny’s performance of a week ago wasn’t any harm to Tipperary and did Waterford no help at all.

Tipperary are a serious team, with young players who have enjoyed great success at minor and underage level: Bonnar Maher made a big contribution, Noel McGrath was outstanding, and Gearoid Ryan and Shane McGrath dominated midfield.

Tipperary’s forwards were on fire. But it was more than that, all around the field they improved hugely from the Clare match and the trend that has seen Tipperary improving over the summer is again recurring.

Tipperary’s defence was very solid and I thought John O’Keeffe – the player who was most questioned coming in – was outstanding. He did really, really well. O’Keeffe was on Waterford’s most consistent forward in Pauric Mahony and he turned in a display that underlines the strength of this Tipperary team and squad and showed that there will be no easy way for Brendan Maher to get back into the team. Manager Declan Ryan will be delighted to have such keen competition for places.

Tipperary were on top all over the field and had all the answers. Waterford were depending on frees from Mahony from a long way out and never looked like threatening. This was also shown in the limited supply that John Mullane got and, in contrast to last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, Paddy Stapleton had the best of the exchanges. All over the place, Tipperary were on top; and it was as comprehensive a victory as Tipperary have ever had in my memory.

Tipperary and Kilkenny have got to take a step back now as they await the winners of the respective quarter-finals and ideally they’d be better off to keep going. But you also want to be going into the semi-final with competition for places and that is certainly the case.

It’s quite different for Waterford. After this hammering, they will go into the All-Ireland quarter-final with Galway with a different mindset. It’s a long road back now playing against a Galway team who are on the up after victories over Clare and that big win over Cork.

Still, Waterford have some chance against Galway; for Cork, it was a very tame exit from the All-Ireland series. Limerick, too, got the job done against Antrim and, like Galway, they have momentum.

Waterford and Dublin have had really comprehensive defeats in their respective provincial finals and it will be hard to get back on the trail so quickly, particularly Waterford.

But the story of the weekend is the Tipperary forward line and the scoring machine that it is. To score 7-15 from play is remarkable and that 6-13 of that came from the full-forward line is even more remarkable. Corbett is at the top of his game and, aside from his scoring, the best move of the game yesterday was actually the crossfield pass he gave to Eoin Kelly when the ball was dropped.

If there is one little danger for Tipperary, it could be complacency after registering a score like that in a Munster final. But I don’t expect that to happen to this team.

They are too focused for that.