Munster has more jeopardy than a gameshow

I’LL take games that actually matter for $500 please, Alex. In fact I’ll take games that actually matter every single time, because when it comes down to it that’s what we all want, that’s what championship is all about.

In football have we had one yet? A game that mattered, genuinely mattered? A game with jeopardy? The clash of Kildare and Louth this weekend has a spot in the Leinster final – and a hopping by Dublin – at stake, more importantly, though, it comes with a Sam Maguire Cup berth too. So, yeah, that counts. Other than that, though, it’s all been fairly low-stakes stuff in football. Derry getting mugged by Donegal on Saturday evening was a real anti-climax, Derry’s tame exit telling a tale in that regard. No biggie really.

Thank the deity for the Munster hurling championship, then, as it has nothing but high stakes. This weekend’s game between Cork and Clare in the Páirc is, essentially, make or break for both counties.

Very few sides which has lost their opening two games in the Munster round-robin has gone on to feature in the All Ireland series so here we have two of the pre-tournament favourites to advance fighting for their lives. Expect skin and hair to fly down by the marina.Even last weekend the way Limerick fought back against the Banner in Ennis was telling. A first round defeat could have done serious damage to Limerick’s five in-a-row ambitions. Faced with that they dug deep, dug it out.

It mattered. It was a biggie. When this time of the year that’s really how it should be. Otherwise it’s not really championship.