Saturday
Allianz National Hurling League Division 1A
Offaly v Clare, Birr, 3.0 – Top versus bottom. Clare have had a satisfactory league, bringing through players to deepen the panel and recording narrow victories over their leading challengers as well as drawing with Wexford. The late resurgence against Kilkenny earned a valuable win with some good displays, primarily by David Fitzgerald but of the younger bloods, Darragh Lohan and Keith Smyth contributed well.
Offaly had a disappointing outcome against Cork, the type that can befall teams who have battled away against the odds and begin to fade. The return to the top division has been at times encouraging and they were missing key defenders Cillian Kiely and Ciarán Burke last week. Clare will send a team of espoirs, who should nonetheless get the job done. Verdict: Clare
Waterford v Kilkenny, Walsh Park, 3.0 – It would not be beyond Waterford now that their fate is sealed to pull a big performance out of the hat, as they did against Tipp in last year’s championship. Kilkenny have fielded near enough first-choice teams for the last two weeks and TJ Reid is back but they will have been disappointed by the low total scored in Ennis and the couple of goal chances that came to nothing.
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Waterford have been trying to mend and make do, given their injury list and the habit of tuning out just after half-time, which has been driving David Fitzgerald mad. Their target will be to keep things ticking over and iron out inconsistencies with a view to a renewed challenge for championship. Verdict: Kilkenny
Wexford v Cork, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 3.0 – A brilliant response from Wexford in Walsh Park saw them home in the end and into next season’s top flight. That it was achieved without team captain and totem, Lee Chin, was all the more admirable and they are currently unbeaten in the league. Cian Byrne and Séamus Casey did a lot of damage up front and they can look forward to treating this contest as a free hit, as they are secure for next season.
Cork have an outside chance of forcing a way into the league semi-finals – if they win this and Kilkenny lose – and they welcome back Ciarán Joyce and Pat Horgan for the trip to Wexford. Pat Ryan’s team picked up momentum by walloping Offaly and can win here. Verdict: Cork
Division 1B
Antrim v Tipperary, Corrigan Park, 3.0 [BBC iPlayer and GAAGo] – Tipperary’s Séamus Kennedy was confirmed to have ruptured his cruciate against Limerick last week, which is tough for the 2016 and 2019 All-Ireland winner. Antrim would probably prefer that Tipp weren’t potentially relying on scoring difference to reach the semi-finals, which could happen were Galway to beat Limerick. Verdict: Tipperary
Dublin v Westmeath, Parnell Park, 3.0 – This might have had a relevance to the composition of next year’s top division but the underwhelming results gathered by Dublin makes it almost impossible that they would end with a better scoring difference than Cork even were Cork to lose. Westmeath picked up a more convincing win over Antrim than Dublin managed but Micheál Donoghue’s team are favoured. Verdict: Dublin
Galway v Limerick, Pearse Stadium, 1.15 [Live, TG4] – Whatever intrigue was promised by this fairly evaporated with news of suspensions for Galway’s Daithi Burke and Conor Whelan after last week’s fiery encounter with Dublin. Limerick have been powering on this league and reincorporating players as they go. Team captain Declan Hannon is the latest to return, having not played since last year’s Munster final and Seán Finn, who ruptured his cruciate in last year’s championship defeat by Clare, is named in the match-day panel.
They looked their formidable selves in the second half against Tipperary a week ago. Galway have struggled to find the formula to down the champions in recent years – the league win of three years ago the last time they took something from this fixture. This brings together the top two scorers in the division but Galway are otherwise weakened. Verdict: Limerick
Division 2A: Laois v Kerry, Laois Hire O’Moore Park, 2.0; Down v Meath, Ballycran, 1.0.
Division 3A: Armagh v Louth, Box-It Athletic Grounds, 1.0; Cavan v Monaghan, Kingspan Breffni, 1.0; Sligo v Mayo, Kent Park, 1.0.
Division 3B: Fermanagh v Longford, Brewster Park, 2.30; Warwickshire v Lancashire, Páirc na hÉireann, 2.30.
Sunday
Division 2B: Derry v Roscommon, Lavey, 1.0; Donegal v London, Letterkenny, 1.0; Tyrone v Wicklow, Eoghan Ruadh, Dungannon, 1.0.
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