Tipperary 2-18 : Galway 2-15
 
 It’s a decade since Tipperary last took the Liam MacCarthy home and this is the first chance in those 10 years. It’s also the culmination of manager Nickey English’s patient re-development of the county’s challenge. Having survived a fright against Wexford in the semi-final, Tipp now take on a powerful Galway side that blitzed champions Kilkenny in the other semi. Back in the late 1980s the counties had many memorable battles when managers English and Galway’s Noel Lane faced each other on the field. This is just as hard to call.