For all that increasingly tiresome talk around the Allianz Hurling League – fleeting intensity, passive physicality, sham attention, etc – not all is yet done and dusted going into this weekend’s last round of matches.
Some teams are already looking beyond: from the top end of the two top tiers Cork and Tipperary have earned their passage into the Division 1 semi-finals, Cork as winners of Group A, Tipperary as winners of Group B.
A win or a draw for Limerick at home to Wexford would see them progress as Group A runners-up; Clare and Galway aren’t entirely done yet, but would need Limerick to lose while they both win. A win or a draw for Kilkenny at home to Waterford would send them through as Group B runners-up, no one else in the mix still there.
At the bottom end of the top two tiers, Westmeath and Laois are already facing into the relegation playoff, no matter what happens in their last round of matches.
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In Group A, Westmeath are at home to Galway, while in Group B, Laois are away to Dublin. For both teams that’s effectively a warm-up for their relegation playoff the following weekend, which Westmeath manager Joe Fortune describes as “the nuggets one of all”.
Now into his second season in charge, Fortune has already defied some predictions by retaining Westmeath’s Liam MacCarthy status last year. After winning the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2021, there was some fear of the yo-yo movement typically associated with the team back in the top tier of the championship.
After a memorable draw with Wexford in round four of the Leinster championship, Westmeath still needed to beat Laois in the final round to ensure that status, which they did, winning 5-24 to 1-18.
Now, Laois will again be standing in their way of retaining top-tier league status: no Westmeath team has achieved that in the past. Fortune was able to some positives from last Sunday’s defeat to All-Ireland champions Limerick.
Despite training 1-14 to 0-5 at half-time, facing into the wind too, Westmeath drew the second half, 1-10 to 0-13: “There’s a massive game against Galway this week, but the biggest one of all is going to come in two weeks’ time, to see can we be the first Westmeath team to maintain Division 1 status,” said Fortune.
“We knew from the start of the year that we could, possibly, turn a big team over, if we got everything going our way. But we always knew the reality, that it was going to be ourselves, Antrim, Laois, possibly, who would be in [contention for] the playoff.”
DIVISION 1 GROUP A:
Sunday (1.45): Limerick v Wexford, TUS Gaelic Grounds; Westmeath v Galway, TEG Cusack Park; Clare v Cork, Ennis.
Cork, on eight points, reach the semi-finals with a game to spare, Limerick best placed to take the second slot. They are on six points, followed by Galway and Clare on four each.
A win or draw for Limerick at home to Wexford would earn them a semi-final spot; if they lose and both Clare and Galway win, scoring difference will decide who joins Cork in the last four. Westmeath, who came up from 2A this year, will face a relegation playoff with Laois, no matter what happens against Galway.
DIVISION 1 GROUP B:
Sunday (1.45): Waterford v Kilkenny, UPMC Nowlan Park; Dublin v Laois, Parnell Park; Antrim v Tipperary, Corrigan Park
Tipperary are already through to the semi-finals, having won all four games to date, irrespective of how they fare against Antrim.
They will meet either Kilkenny or Waterford, who face-off in Nowlan Park on Sunday, Kilkenny needing only a draw. There’s nothing at stake for Dublin, with Laois already facing a relegation clash with Westmeath.
DIVISION 2A:
Sunday (1.0): Offaly v Kildare, Glenisk O’Connor Park; Kerry v Down, Austin Stack Park; Carlow v Derry, Netwatch Cullen Park
Offaly and Kildare, having both won their first four games, meet in Tullamore will decide who advances directly to the final, and who faces a semi-final test against Kerry.
A draw or better for Kildare would put them straight into the 2A final, where the winner takes a spot in Division 1 next year.
DIVISION 2B:
Sunday (1.0): Sligo v Wicklow, Markievicz Park; London v Meath, McGovern Park, Ruislip; Donegal v Tyrone, Letterkenny
Meath have already clinched a place in the final, having won all four games.
Wicklow (six points) are into the semi-final, and will play Tyrone of Donegal (four points each).
DIVISION 3A:
Saturday (2.0): Monaghan v Roscommon, Clontibret; Louth v Mayo, Darver; Armagh v Fermanagh, Keady, 2.0
Only three points separate all six teams, making it the tightest of all the divisions. A draw for Monaghan (six points) against Roscommon (four points) would be enough to earn them a place in the final. Louth and Armagh (four points each) are also in contention for a semi-final place.
DIVISION 3B:
Saturday (2.0): Leitrim v Longford, Drumshanbo; Lancashire v Warwickshire, Páirc na hÉireann
Cavan have already clinched their final spot. As things stand Leitrim and Longford, who meet this weekend, will also do so again in the semi-final.
