Sunday
Leinster SHC
Wexford v Kilkenny, Wexford Park, 2pm – Unlike the terrific contests of recent years between these two when no perceived gap, however large, appeared unbridgeable for Wexford and their spiritual leader Lee Chin, this is a dead rubber with all that implies for match excitement and crowd engagement. Keith Rossiter’s team were very unlucky to concede a phantom goal to Dublin at a critical stage but overall, it’s been a dull year between relegation in the league and the faltering championship.
Kilkenny name a shadow team, giving reserves a run and indulging in a bit of experimentation by naming Ballyhale’s front eight All Star, Adrian Mullen, at centre back. If there were high stakes and an excitable crowd, you’d have to go with Wexford, given the opposition line-up. But there’s unlikely to be either. Verdict: Kilkenny
Dublin v Galway, Parnell Park, 2pm (Live, RTÉ2) – This is an effective semi-final with the winners advancing to play Kilkenny in the Leinster final – Galway have the scoring edge if it’s a draw. Both teams have improved as the championship has unfolded and come into this in relatively buoyant form. Dublin’s progress has been well calibrated by Niall Ó Ceallacháin and they are guaranteed All-Ireland hurling regardless of the result. They were a little unfortunate against Kilkenny, as the defence sprang leaks faster than the forwards could find scores, even allowing for some bright and intelligent play.
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Certainly, on a line drawn through Kilkenny, Dublin look better but Galway have improved on that dire first outing and have named a strong team for this, not their favourite hunting ground. Yet to win this championship fixture in the city, Galway are nonetheless odds-on for this. They certainly have a higher ceiling but how close are they to reaching it? Dublin can be depended on to bring energy and cussedness against their former manager Micheál Donoghue but he brings a depth of knowledge and acuity to planning for his former charges. There’s a momentum to the home team, though, that can make a marginal difference. Verdict: Dublin
Offaly v Antrim, O’Connor Park, 2pm (Live, GAA+) – The McDonagh play-off pairing that most foresaw has materialised but in a slightly different way. Offaly came up short in Parnell Park having looked at one stage like beating Dublin but they fell away and haven’t managed to land a punch yet. Antrim conversely haven’t been hugely competitive and there were rumblings of discontent during the week after a campaign where not even Fortress Corrigan appeared to be helping. This is away and the scale of the opportunity is likely to bring out the best in Offaly. Verdict: Offaly
Munster SHC
Limerick v Clare, Gaelic Grounds, 4pm – A sad reduction of the Munster championship’s big fixture of the past three seasons to irrelevance, as it’s only denied dead rubber status by the potential for Limerick to miss out on the Munster final should Clare win by 26 points. The All-Ireland champions have never been in a position to mount a full-throated defence because of injuries and even the heroic recovery against Cork has been contextualised. John Kiely rests a number of front liners but retains a bit of oomph off the bench. Verdict: Limerick
Cork v Waterford, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 4pm (Live, RTÉ2) – How straightforward all of this looked a week ago. The extent to which it still maintains some of that characteristic is Waterford’s sense of running a bit on empty. But Cork’s humiliating reversion to the whipping boys of four years ago may have been partly contrived – or not but it’s impossible to view their campaign in the same light and a massive statement, not really possible in this match, will be required if they reach the Munster final.
Waterford had their own travails, effectively losing to Tipperary despite a handicap in the shape of a burst of early scores. Second only to Limerick in terms of scores conceded, Peter Queally’s team also are the province’s least productive attackers. In their favour is that for the first time in this format they go into the last day with a chance of reaching the All-Ireland stages. Assuming that Cork are appropriately stung by last week, they should bring more dynamism to this task. With the atmosphere of a full and urgent venue, the league winners are likely to exert enough pressure to outscore the visitors, ideally by rediscovering their goal touch. Any misfiring will be an invitation to further disaster. Verdict: Cork
