ALL-IRELAND SHC QUARTER-FINAL

Kilkenny v Limerick, 2pm LIVE on RTÉ One A third hard competitive match on the bounce could have the same effect on Kilkenny players as kryptonite on a certain comic book character. Only Galway have hurled like their powers haven’t been severely diminished by a gruelling schedule. From the form team in Munster, Limerick hit a dramatic slump in Ennis and left the field looking tired and emotional. For all that Kilkenny, under Brian Cody, seem to bend the natural laws to their own, they have to be vulnerable here after two energy-sapping collisions with All-Ireland champions Galway. Aaron Gillane’s form epitomises how the spring is back in Limerick’s step and it is in this same venue that the county’s young guns beat Kilkenny in the Under-21 final, which has to fuel their belief. Verdict: Limerick