Stakes are high in the hurlers opening round visit to Navan

LEINSTER SHC ROUND ROBIN FIRST ROUND

Meath v Kerry Sunday, April 23 Pairc Tailteann, 3pm

VICTORY is the only really acceptable outcome from Kerry’s point of view on Sunday afternoon.

What’s most concerning about that is that it’s far from a raging certainty. Kerry are the favourites for sure, it’s just that nobody should take it for granted that it will definitely happen.

Meath are a side on the up, a side with real momentum, a side who will look at a game against a recently relegated side as possibly their best chance for getting the two points on the board and making survival at this grade possible and, make no mistake, that’s what’s at stake for both teams this weekend – survival.

It is, of course, mathematically possible to lose the opening game and bounce back, but it makes it a hell of a lot more difficult. The pressure would be ratcheted up straight away. Losing to the bottom ranked side in the group wouldn’t bode well for the Kingdom.

Win and instead thoughts can turn to reaching the quarter-finals, which has to be Kerry’s ambition. It’s just important they don’t – as their manager stressed this week – get out ahead of themselves and take Meath for granted. Anybody can beat anybody else in this round robin.

Still Kerry should have what it takes to emerge with the spoils from Navan, even despite the hammer-blow of Daniel Collins’ injury. Their record in Division 1B masked quite a lot of positive performances.

Meath for their part look a side well capable of putting up big scores, albeit it we must stress against lesser sides than Kerry have been facing. Kerry should represent a real step up in class for the Royals.

All the same Kerry will have to be live to the threat posed by guys like Mark O’Sullivan – scorer of 3-5 against Wicklow in the league final – Stephen Clynch and James Kelly.

We suspect Meath won’t score as freely against Kerry as they did during their run to promotion and we suspect they’ll find the Kerry forward line a much more difficult opponent too. Meath gave up 2-15 to Wicklow after all. We should expect Kerry to score more heavily than that.

Verdict: Kerry