HURLING PREVIEWS
TODAY ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1 QUARTER-FINALS
(extra time and result on the day if necessary) Waterford v Clare, Walsh Park (Live TG4) Referee: S Cleere (Kilkenny) Rarely can the loss of a coin toss be of such value to a team. Clare have the perfect run-through ahead of their Munster championship opener at Waterford’s home ground. Shane Golden must be the find of the spring campaign and it has been a double boon, allowing Tony Kelly to play a marauding role from centre-forward. Séadna Morey and Cathal Malone get a chance to help tighten up Clare’s defensive discipline in what is suspiciously close to a Championship starting 15. Verdict: Clare Galway v Wexford, Pearse Stadium, 1.30 (Live TG4) Referee: C McAllister (Cork) Joe Canning and company won’t have forgotten that Wexford’s win here at the same venue kept them out of Division 1A in Davy Fitzgerald’s first year in charge, and they were also dumped out by the same opposition at this stage last year. Interesting to see if Galway push up on Kevin Foley at any stage, particularly if they have the usual Salthill gale at their back, given his influence in a sweeping role against Kilkenny last Sunday.
Verdict: Galway Tipperary v Dublin, Semple Stadium, 4.30 Referee: P Murphy (Carlow) Far from the fear of being heavy-legged against Cork after a warm-weather training camp, Tipperary were showing the full range of their attacking ability in full flow. To be just one shy of hitting the 30-point mark — Jason Forde alone hit 1-13 — suggests Dublin are meeting them at just the wrong time.
‘RELEGATION’ PLAY-OFF
Kilkenny v Cork, Nowlan Park, 2.00 Referee: J Owens (Wexford) ‘Futile’ is the word used by Brian Cody to describe this fixture. It’s hard to argue, especially with Croke Park decreeing that the suspensions of Conor Delaney and Seamus Harnedy wouldn’t apply. Verdict:
TOMORROW AIB ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CLUB HURLING FINAL
(extra time if necessary) Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) v St Thomas’ (Galway), Croke Park, 2.00 (Live TG4) Referee: F Horgan (Tipperary) Who would have thought that Henry Shefflin would be back at Croke Park for an All-Ireland final so soon? His Ballyhale side’s gutsy semi-final win over Ballygunner showed there is a lot more to the attack than his heir to the throne with Kilkenny, TJ Reid. Eoin Cody showed his class with 1-4 and Eoin Reid, Adrian Mullen and Patrick Mullen chipped in. St Thomas’ have the pedigree of being AllIreland winners themselves but they meet a team whose graph has been rising. Verdict: Ballyhale Shamrocks