After what has been an incredible trilogy of matches it's hard to know where to begin, but I would have to start by congratulating Limerick. This was another fantastic display of hurling from both teams, as intense as anything I've ever seen, and on the balance of play over the 70 minutes, and also extra-time, Limerick have proved deserving winners. Not even the most ardent Tipperary supporter could deny that.

Just like the last two games, this really could have gone either way, but that desire, coupled with Limerick's greater physical strength and power, was ultimately what decided it.

Limerick showed that greater hunger in players like Brian Geary, Mark Foley, Niall Moran and Mike O'Brien - and they also ended up getting their best display this season out of Peter Lawlor. Throughout the field they had the players driving them on, including Andrew O'Shaughnessy, who again hit some crucial scores in the end to finally smother Tipperary.

Yet again we had a game that swung back and forth with unbelievable excitement, probably four different games in one.

Unlike last week, Limerick were the ones who started with a whirlwind this time, going 0-7 to 0-1 in front. They had four or five good chances to go even further ahead, and I'd say Tipperary were as surprised as any of us when they ended up level at half-time. Certainly Limerick had done all the hurling in that half.

But then Tipperary did come back into the game. Eoin Kelly hit some good scores and their half backs were beginning to dominate. Hugh Maloney, Conor O'Mahony and James Woodlock started playing very well, and yet things just weren't opening up as much for the half forwards.

John Carroll was ill most of last week and that surely explains why he didn't have the same influence this time as in the last two games, but they were still matching Limerick point for point as the game headed toward the climax. The tension was really building up in the crowd and it looked like that spilled over to the players, because it really was stalemate for the last 20 minutes. It was as if extra-time was inevitable and in fairness Tipperary fought like lions to make sure it arrived. What happened from then on gripped both sets of supporters. I don't think I've ever seen a Munster championship match with more intensity.

It all changed in extra-time when Tipperary got their second goal, and suddenly went three points up. At that stage it did look like they were going to secure a victory they would scarcely have deserved. Limerick wasted a couple of chances, with Niall Moran and Pat Tobin hitting wides.

Yet it changed again in the second period of extra-time, when Limerick's desire just took over. They really showed massive hunger, with Mike O'Brien and Donal O'Grady winning some great ball at midfield, while Tipperary started to struggle - especially without Shane McGrath.

Niall Moran came back into the game with a couple of great points, although at that stage I thought the referee did make a few harsh calls against Tipperary.

I don't want that to sound like sour grapes in any way but Darragh Egan and Lar Corbett could well have had a free at the end, when they were still just two points down. Instead Limerick took the ball up the field and tagged on a couple more points, and the goose was cooked.

Having said that I still don't think Tipperary would have deserved the win, not on the balance of play. Look at the wide count, which was at least double for Limerick, and throughout the game Tipperary found it hard to win primary possession. Especially with Brian Geary proving so commanding at centre back, and Mark Foley alongside him. Gerry Kennedy was also forced into one great save and if Limerick had lost the game they would have had only themselves to blame.

Tipperary ended up living on scraps, and again Carroll's limited role because of the illness was a lot to do with that. I just hope Tipperary can recover from this in time for the qualifiers next Saturday, but of course that won't be easy.

The prize on offer here was always much greater than just a place in the Munster final. The winners get the two weeks to prepare for the meeting with Waterford, which they'll start as underdogs and yet have a good chance of winning.

The losers have to regroup, mentally as much as physically, and that really is the job facing Babs Keating now. It mightn't have quite had the quality of the Waterford-Cork game, but you can't argue with the commitment of both teams over the past three games. And if you think about Limerick, they way they survived being a man down the first day, fought back from 10 points down the second day, and then produced the greater physical effort on the third day, you have to hand it to them.

Deserving winners.