With 25 games being played across both Leagues this weekend, there’s an awful lot to look forward to.
Table topping battle
The meeting of the top two in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League is the highlight of the big ball action this weekend. Dublin and Kildare are both unbeaten but there the similarity ends.
The Dubs have blitzed past Cork, Kerry and Mayo thus far, winning by an average of almost seven points and they have had the luxury of a returning Ciaran Kilkenny to supplement what looks like a rejuvenated Bernard Brogan.
In contrast, Kildare can be seen to be a bit fortunate to be on six points. Donegal were only just back from their hols when Kildare beat them in Round 1, late goals by Niall Kelly and Paddy Brophy helped them past a stumbling Cork and their win over Kerry was a festival of bad shooting, with the Kingdom’s lack of radar handing the win to Kildare.
If you look at it one way, winning while playing below par is the hallmark of champions and we expect Kieran McGeeney doesn’t really care how the points are won. He has Johnny Doyle doing what Johnny Doyle does and Seanie Johnston might finally be becoming, once again, more famed for his on-field skills than his off-field bills.
But Dublin look to be settling in very nicely under the Jim Gavin and with the sting of the Under-21 defeat to Longford still in the air, we suspect the capital may fancy flexing their muscles at home. Kildare won the O’Byrne Cup final in January, after extra time, between these sides but we expect a reverse on Sunday.
The bookies have the handicap at -2 for the Dubs. That looks generous enough to us.
Clash of the titans
For the best part of five years every meeting of Tipperary and Kilkenny has been must-see TV. The rise of Galway last year, coupled with a slippage in Tipp’s high standards in 2012, has meant the build-up to their first meeting of 2013 has been somewhat muted.
But with hurling’s sprint format for the League, Tipp can’t afford to lose a second game from two or else they are in trouble of the drop. Ridiculous but that’s the way it’s structured. Their first round defeat to Cork was a bit of a surprise and Eamon O’Shea has not taken the result well either, changing over half his team for the Semple clash.
One Lar Corbett returns while Shane McGrath (injury), Patrick Maher (work) and Seamus Callanan (dropped) are among those missing. It is still, of course, a strong team.
Brian Cody’s men also went down on day one, to new sparring partner Galway, so the will to win is massive on both sides. Goals done Kilkenny down at Pearse Stadium, so expect a tighter Cats unit to appear at Semple. The Premier will be looking for green flags too so we expect a cracker.
Best of the rest
With so much action on, here’s a few bullet points on other games to keep an eye on.
- An unbeaten Tyrone play a Cork team who had a narrow win over relegation certainties Down last time out. Mickey Harte’s men are in a serious groove in 2013 so things could get ugly in Omagh for Conor Counihan’s men in their fancy new shirts.
- Hard to believe that the meeting of All-Ireland champs Donegal and Kerry is but a footnote this weekend but it is. Donegal look like a team who are happy to just do enough to stay alive in the top flight this term. Kerry, after three defeats, are struggling. We know they are missing a lot of their summer stars but a long trip to Ballybofey is probably the last thing Eamonn Fitzmaurice wants.
- The Midlands derby between Westmeath and Laois is the pick of Division 2 as two sides going very nicely meet. Laois are the entertainers of the division with the most points scored (57) and the most conceded (52) while Westmeath sit on top with two wins and a draw.
- The Munster clash in Division 1A of the hurling between Waterford and Cork should be tasty. The demise of the Deise was perhaps overblown while JBM is doing a passable AVB impression with his exciting new Cork team. Lots of Championship pointers to be picked up in Dungarvan this weekend.
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