Today’s hurling championship previews: Banner must guard against Cork’s ability to ignite
Cork v Clare
SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2.0
Six changes from the Cork team that had a losing start in Walsh Park brings to mind Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s half a dozen newcomers that sparked a flame followed by a conflagration in 1999.
A difficult period of Cork navel-gazing was transformed by a rousing win over Waterford. Jimmy’s joy – and enormous relief – showed when he ran on the field to celebrate at the final whistle.
Pat Ryan is in similar territory here. Three All-Ireland under-20 titles in four years has created an expectancy that hasn’t been met. After failing to qualify from Munster last year, patience is being stretched. It is a worry for Clare manager Brian Lohan, knowing Cork’s ability to suddenly ignite. Clare’s championship record against today’s opponents, since winning the 2013 All-Ireland final, reads six wins to three in Cork’s favour. Two of Clare’s three were in Ennis, the other in Thurles.
The prospect of arriving pointless after Limerick in the opening round was always there. But they head south with a potentially corrosive defeat behind them, conceding three goals that would make a junior club defence blush. Today is a test of their mettle and how they adapt when Cork get a run on them.
Cork: P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony, C Joyce, R Downey; E Twomey, D Fitzgibbon; D Dalton, S Barrett, S Harnedy; B Hayes, A Connolly, P Horgan. Subs: B Saunderson, D Cahalane, G Millerick, T O Connell, M Coleman, L Meade, S Kingston, R O Flynn, J O Connor, C Lehane, S Twomey.
Clare: E Quilligan; A Hogan, C Cleary, R Hayes; D Ryan, J Conlon, D McInerney; D Fitzgerald, D Lohan; C Malone, M Rodgers, P Duggan; A McCarthy, S O’Donnell, D Reidy. Subs: C Broderick, C Leen, P Flanagan, S Morey, C Galvin, P Donnellan, I Galvin, A Shanagher, S Meehan, R Mounsey, T Kelly.
Verdict: Clare.
Limerick v Tipperary
TUS Gaelic Grounds, 4.0
Limerick’s scoring returns were unfeasibly low last weekend, bailed out by three goals that couldn’t have been part of even the Treaty’s famously meticulous game-planning.
But after a month’s competitive break and facing a team fired up by a recent National League win, it leaves them in that ideal place where they can see that the room for improvement is generous, and achieving it manageable.
Tipperary’s last assignment, losing the league semi final to Clare, highlighted defensive issues that left worrying scoring avenues untended. Liam Cahill has been a witness to league success tailspinning into a poor summer with Waterford; what happens from here is what counts. He has a job on his hands to have that backline working efficiently to reduce the impact of what should be a more polished Limerick shooting performance.
They have players in the other half capable of inflicting harm and it is difficult to see how they can manage to win without scoring goals, even if Limerick are still working themselves back towards greater efficiency. If that creative chemistry is there and they hit the ground running, they’ve a chance, but Limerick can match that and more.
Limerick: N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, B Nash; D Byrnes, D Hannon, K Hayes; W O’Donoghue, C O’Neill; G Hegarty, D Reidy, T Morrissey; A Gillane, S Flanagan, C Lynch. Subs: D McCarthy, C Boylan, P Casey, C Coughlan, A English, G Mulcahy, B Murphy, A O’Connor, F O’Connor, D O Dalaigh, M Quinlan.
Tipperary: B Hogan; J Ryan, R Maher, C Morgan; M Breen, B O’Mara, C Bowe; W Connors, E Connolly; A Tynan, G O’Connor, J Forde; J Morris, M Kehoe, S Hayes. Subs: R Shelly, R Byrne, P Cadell, S Kenneally, P Maher, D McCormack, J McGrath, N McGrath, A Ormond, S Ryan, D Stakelum.
Verdict: Limerick.
Galway v Kilkenny
Pearse Stadium, 2.0
Pythonesque opening day for Kilkenny, winning by 32 points against a gravely disappointing Antrim, and yet left with an incongruously hefty bill to pay with injuries. Goalkeeper Eoin Murphy, and two of their best forwards, Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen, are ruled out, which creates an early set of problems for Derek Lyng’s management team.
The flip side is that they’ll hope they have time to recover in time to help Kilkenny’s bid for a fifth consecutive Leinster title. Their misfortune offers the chance to see Aidan Tallis in goal and how Owen Wall fares on his first championship start after impressing in Nowlan Park with 2-2 off the bench.
Galway hurlers have broken many managers over the years, and it is commonly accepted that they need to make some serious ground this year under Henry Shefflin.
They didn’t make a blazing start again Carlow last weekend, but they will be expected to get the win in light of Kilkenny’s losses.
Galway: D Fahy; J Grealish, Dáithí Burke, F Burke; S Linnane, P Mannion, C Fahy; R Glennon, David Burke; G Lee, T Monaghan, B Concannon; C Whelan, C Cooney, C Mannion. Subs: E Murphy, D Morrissey, A Tuohey, G McInerney, T Killeen, John Cooney, D O’Shea, E Niland, Joseph Cooney, J Flynn, J Glynn.
Kilkenny: A Tallis; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; D Blanchfield, P Deegan, S Murphy; C Kenny, R Reid; M Keoghan, J Donnelly, T Phelan; B Ryan, TJ Reid, O Wall. Subs: D Mason, C Delaney, J Molloy, D Corcoran, K Doyle, C Fogarty, G Dunne, B Drennan, L Hogan, H Shine, L Blanchfield.
Verdict: Galway
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