I agree with s lot of what you said in your post but the above piece puzzles me a bit. While your point about the 3 games in a row can be upheld, at the same time Limerick ran Waterford ragged for the first 20 minutes. This imo is where the game was won with Andrew Shocks doing reckon. Waterford actually came into the game for the last 25. Normally teams with a three orfor game run tend to fade in the last 20 rather than the first 20.
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The 3 games in 3 weeks wasn’t the only factor. There was an element of Waterford taking Limerick for granted a bit after the Munster Final and Limerick ruthlessly exposing the most glaring weakness in that Waterford team in the full back line. Brian Begley destroyed Declan Prendergast. It wasn’t as if Waterford weren’t forewarned of the danger there, Begley destroyed Sean Cullinane in the 2nd half in the 2001 Munster semi final in Cork.
My now hazy recollection of that game is Limerick destroyed Waterford first 20 minutes, got out to an 11 or 12 point lead, Waterford started chipping away at the lead then, expended a lot of energy in closing the gap to a point before Limerick hit a tiring Waterford with another goal blitz in the last few minutes.
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Ye were planning for the final that day. We didn’t travel with too much hope ourselves to be fair. One of the great days following limerick.
Jesus that was sheer euphoria when Begley hit the 5th… my God the place fuckin erupted. One of the good days!
Donie and Shocks did the damage in the first 20. Waterford clawed it back to four just before the first whistle. Donie goaled just after half time. Undone all the Waterford work of the last 15 of the first half. Eoin McGrath came on and goaled.Im not sure whether Waterford got it back to one or two after that but Begley was pulled down by Ken McGrath on about 60 minutes. Shocks goaled and Waterford still chipped away and still got it back to two. With the game heading into injury time , Begley grabbed a long ball , took about 10 steps and buried it. Job was oxo then.
There is an article about it in the Examiner today. Ollie Moran and Ken reminiscing.
I watched that 2007 semi final in an Irish bar in Dubai with my missus en route to Melbourne. We heard just after we arrived in Dubai that Tom Cheasty had passed away earlier that weekend. My late father in law was a very good friend of Cheasty and my missus was good friends from school days with Cheasty’s daughter who died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage. A very sombre weekend all round for Waterford.
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“He can bury Waterford…!”
Savage day. Seamus Roche didn’t give us a decision all day long.
I remember thinking we should tap over the penalty late on. 
Yet Roche should have pulled Begley for steps
Banger was super that day in his own way
Hickey in the corner was unreal. Lawlor at 5 outstanding. Dodge was brilliant, Ollie was brilliant at 11. A great oul day out
Mike Fitz was poor enough the same day after being brilliant up to it
He was but I think he was basically told to keep the wing open for Shaughs, he played most of the game on the sideline around midfield with an absolute ocean of room in front of Shaughs, who went to town
He was pulled fairly early for niall I’m sure. So maybe he stayed too out of it.
I seem to recall he had injury trouble going into it
4 lads that might make the team today, serious players.
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Shaughs too.
That was the best hit penalty I’ve ever seen
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He only took about two steps back from it.
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Was perfection.
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