Throw in
Gaelic Grounds, Sunday 3 June, 4pm
Online
Live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News Now App
Radio
Live commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
TV
Live on RTÉ2. Highlights of the game, along with all the weekend's action, on The Sunday Game, RTÉ2, from 9.30pm.
Last five Championship meetings
2016: Tipperary 5-19 Waterford 0-13 (Munster final)
2015: Tipperary 0-21 Waterford 0-16 (Munster final)
2012: Tipperary 2-17 Waterford 0-16 (Munster final
2011: Tipperary 7-19 Waterford 0-19 (Munster final)
2010: Tipperary 3-19 Waterford 1-18 (All-Ireland semi-final)
This game is a must-win encounter for both sides, even though it's only Waterford's second game of the summer.
Defeat to Clare last week was a serious enough setback already but losing Tadhg de Burca, Barry Coughlan and Darragh Fives to long-term injuries made it a complete disaster.
Add in the absence of Maurice Shanahan (groin) and Kevin Moran (suspension) and it's a seriously youthful-looking Waterford side who line out against Tipp in what is technically one of their home games.
Michael Brick Walsh and Noel Connors will both start, despite not finishing the game against Clare.
One of the few positives Derek McGrath can take is the return of 2016 Hurler of the Year Austin Gleeson and freetaker Pauric Mahony to the starting line-up, though Mahony's participation still remains in some doubt.
Losing would make it extremely unlikely that either team could reach the knockout stages.
Tipperary will come in on a high despite their Jekyll and Hyde performance at Semple Stadium last week.
A monstrous first half saw them trail by nine points but they rallied in the second half and some clinical finishing from the likes of Noel and John McGrath salvaged a season-saving draw.
The question is which Tipperary will show up this week? The team who were outfought by Limerick and in the first half against Cork or the spirited outfit that finished the game in Thurles.
Waterford are aiming to end a seven-game Championship losing streak against Tipp, stretching back to when Davy Fitzgerald led them to victory in the 2008 All-Ireland semi-final. They haven't even scored a goal in the last four meetings.
"Tipperary’s confidence will have been rebuilt to a certain extent with their second-half performance against Cork and they won’t get an easier chance to build on that," says RTÉ hurling analyst Michael Duignan.
"It’ll be interesting to see where they go from here because I think, with another win under their belt this Sunday, they’ll start to take shape and become competitive over the summer.
"Waterford are decimated with injuries. Bad enough starting the Championship with no home match, which was their own doing, they didn’t have Walsh Park up to scratch, and now to lose so many players? You couldn’t make it up.
"They finished Sunday’s game with five of their All-Ireland team from last year and you just won’t carry that amount of lost players."
Player watch
Austin Gleeson
The 2016 Hurler of the Year has been battling ankle and back injuries but Waterford desperately need him firing tomorrow.
Gleeson didn't quite hit the same heights last summer, amid helmet dragging controversy and All-Ireland final disappointment, but remains a key possession winner and long-range scorer, whether in the half-back or half-forward lines.
John O'Dwyer
Bubbles seems to be bubbling nicely after a super second-half cameo against Cork.
He set up Tipperary's second goal and was only denied one himself by a wonder save from Anthony Nash.
The Killenaule man is still prone to the odd wild effort from distance but if he's getting back towards the form he showed in late 2016, and that apparently telepathic understanding with the McGraths, Waterford could be in big trouble.
Teams
Those injuries and suspension have forced Derek McGrath into seven changes in all.
Gleeson, Mahony, Michael Kearney, Stephen Roche, DJ Foran, Stephen Bennett and Patrick Curran all come in.
Tipp make just the one switch. John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer starts instead of Patrick 'Bonner' Maher having come on for him at half-time against Cork.
Waterford: Stephen O'Keeffe; Shane Fives, Conor Gleeson, Noel Connors; Austin Gleeson, Philip Mahony, Jamie Barron; Michael Walsh, Mickey Kearney; Stephen Roche, DJ Foran, Stephen Bennett; Tom Devine, Patrick Curran, Pauric Mahony.
Tipperary: Brian Hogan; Sean O'Brien, Séamus Kennedy, Michael Cahill; Joe O'Dwyer, Padraic Maher, Brendan Maher; Ronan Maher, Billy McCarthy; Dan McCormack, Jason Forde, Noel McGrath; John O'Dwyer, Seamus Callanan, John McGrath.
