Cork to bounce back like Offaly in 1998? Jamesie O'Connor on a dramatic twist in the Munster Championship

Waterford's championship has unravelled massively.

Who could have foreseen the predicament in which they find themselves? Their destiny is out of their own hands. If Cork beat Tipperary on Sunday, the Déise are out.

Many were thinking that Liam Cahill's side would be travelling to Ennis with a decision to make. Would they necessarily want another crack at Limerick in the Munster final? Or would they be happy with third place, and wait until the knockout stages of the championship for another tilt at the Treaty?

That was the unspoken consensus. But they no longer have that luxury.

It has spectacularly fallen apart for them, and their hopes are hanging by a thread. Last Sunday's defeat to Cork was a disastrous one, and Cahill is left hoping for his native county to do him a massive favour on Sunday.

'A quantum leap for Cork'

I wrote last week about how this game was fraught with danger for the Déise. Cork had shipped intense criticism following their defeats to Limerick and Clare. The question was - could they address their deficiencies and channel that hurt into a performance on the field?

As poor as they had been against the Banner, they still only lost by two points. The Rebels seem to have a cruising altitude. Even when playing badly, they still have firepower up front to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

They turned up for a battle in Walsh Park, and they fronted up.

Alan Connolly was the one to deliver the goals. He is a real poacher in the inside forward line - in the mould of a Joe Deane or John Fitzgibbon. He is a natural finisher, and takes watching.

Conor Lehane stepped up, and Seamus Harnedy delivered a vintage display.

They now make for extremely dangerous opponents for any team.

The searing pace in their team can be hard to counteract, and perhaps their struggles early in the championship might benefit them. Kieran Kingston's team will have learned a lot about themselves. They had to look in the mirror following those defeats, but they found something.

That's one thing about the round-robin. You have the scope to tweak things, and can stumble upon solutions.

Cork's attitude and intensity - the things they were accused of lacking in recent weeks - were there in spades. Their season was on the line, and they came out fighting.

Those players will be walking around two foot taller this week.

In 1998, we saw Offaly rebound from a rudderless Leinster final defeat, after which their manager Michael 'Babs' Keating famously described them as 'sheep in a heap'. The Faithful County turned it around, and went on to win the All-Ireland.

I think last Sunday's win in Walsh Park was a quantum leap for Cork. If they don't slip up in Thurles this weekend, the summer could open up for them.

Croke Park would benefit this team, given the speed in the side. If they can sustain the intensity and work-rate levels we saw in Waterford, the Rebels will have a say in this year's championship before it's finished.

A mouth-watering final day

Limerick and Clare are already qualified for the Munster final. But it all comes down to Sunday for the third-place spot, with Cork, Waterford and Tipperary still alive in the championship.

Much could depend on Brian Lohan. The Banner are through. He could decide to play his frontline players against Waterford, looking to keep the unbeaten run going. But to me, it is an unnecessary risk. You don't want Tony Kelly or John Conlon to pick up an injury.

Granted, you cannot wrap players in cotton wool. And they could as easily pick up a knock in training. But he has to do what he feels is best for the team, and they have a Munster final two weeks later.

Tipperary are not out of it either. Colm Bonnar will be priming his side for this. It's Tipperary-Cork in Semple Stadium.

There will be a call to arms in the Premier County this week. Padraic Maher rightly criticised their supporters for not travelling to Limerick in great numbers. And their players died with their boots on that day.

It's not outside the bounds of possibility that they go through, despite losing their first three matches. The Premier can qualify with a seven-point win, coupled with a Clare victory.

Clare might say, 'We're at home, we have two weeks to a Munster final, and we want to keep winning'.

Stranger things have happened. And these things can transpire in sport.

There is vast experience in that Tipperary dressing room. And enough All-Ireland medals to boot. Given the history and tradition between Tipp and Cork, there is no way they are going to roll over.

Last Sunday was proper Munster Championship hurling. That was what we grew up on. Those all-or-nothing games.

And I'm expecting more of the same this weekend, as Cork, Waterford and Tipperary battle for one spot in the All-Ireland series.