The Munster final replay takes centre stage on Saturday evening while there are two big hurling qualifiers also down for decision this weekend.
The fixtures
Munster SHC final replay:
Cork v Waterford (Semple Stadium, 7pm, Saturday)
Hurling qualifiers:
Dublin v Antrim (Croke Park, 3pm, Saturday)
Tipperary v Offaly (Portlaoise, 3.30pm, Sunday)
The previews
Cork v Waterford
It should’ve been a relatively quiet weekend in hurling but that was until Cork and Waterford played out the first Munster final draw since 1998 last Sunday.
The sides lock horns once again at Semple Stadium on Saturday night when Cork will be favourites to take home the spoils at the second time of asking.
The Rebels have been boosted by the news that Sean Og O hAilpin, who limped off with a hamstring injury last weekend, has been passed fit to retain his place in the half back line, with manager Denis Walsh making just one enforced change: Michael Cussen comes into the half forward line in place of Jerry O’Connor, who has been ruled out with a dodgy hamstring.
Having gone into injury time last Sunday three points down and escaped with a draw following Tony Browne’s dramatic late goal, Waterford will be thanking their lucky stars to have a second chance of glory.
John Mullane got the better of Eoin Cadogan last weekend but the young full back will come on for that experience and it would be no surprise to see him put the shackles on Waterford’s star man this time around. If that were to be the case, and the Cork half back line can limit Eoin Kelly’s contribution from play, then Cork should be able to close it out.
The teams:
Cork: D Og Cusack; S O’Neill, E Cadogan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Og O hAilpin; T Kenny, C Naughton; B O’Connor, N McCarthy, M Cussen; K Murphy, A O hAilipin, P Horgan.
Waterford: TBC
Odds:
Cork 8/13, Waterford 13/8, Draw 10/1
JOE Prediction: Waterford got out of jail last weekend but there should be no escape for the Deise this time. Cork by four.
Tipperary v Offaly
Perhaps it was the fall-out from last year’s All-Ireland final defeat to Kilkenny, and the memories of going so close in that game. Perhaps it was a whole winter of listening to the sages saying that they were the side best placed to put a stop to the Cats’ five-in-a-row bid. Whatever it was, Tipperary were a shadow of their 2009 selves in their Munster opener against Cork and got promptly stuffed by the resurgent Rebels.
Maybe it was the best thing that could have happened. The Premier County have been given the time and leeway to rebuild through the qualifiers, and there was plenty to like about their wide-margin victory over Wexford in the first round of the qualifiers.
Offaly, on the other hand, will approach this one in the same manner of their Leinster Championship contests against Galway, when they twice defied the odds to come so close to a memorable triumph before being nailed in injury time at the end of the replay.
The underdogs will certainly have no fear, but that may only take them so far.
Teams:
Tipperary: B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill; D Fanning, C O’Mahony, Padraic Maher; B Maher, D Young; G Ryan, S McGrath, Patrick Maher; N McGrath, L Corbett, E Kelly.
Offaly: TBC
Odds:
Tipperary 1/7, Offaly 11/2, Draw 12/1
JOE Prediction:
Offaly will put up a good fight but Liam Sheedy’s men look to be back on track. Tipp by six.
Dublin v Antrim
Following arguably the best performance of Anthony Daly’s reign as Dublin manager last weekend, the boys from the capital will approach Saturday’s qualifier against Antrim in confident mood of nailing a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals for the second successive year.
Coasting home against Clare with 13 points to spare was a real statement of intent by the Dubs but Daly, who will have powered up the batteries for a clash with his native county, must concentrate on focusing the minds again this weekend, with complacency arguably Dublin’s greatest enemy.
The Dubs defeated Antrim by ten points in the Leinster Championship last year, however, and with players like Stephen Hiney, Alan McCrabbe and David O’Callaghan in exceptional form, they should have too much in hand again this time round.
Teams:
Dublin: G Maguire; N Corcoran, T Brady, O Gough; S Hiney, J Boland, M O’Brien; J McCaffrey, S Durkin; P Kelly, L Rushe, A McCrabbe; P Carton, D O’Dwyer, D O’Callaghan.
Antrim: TBC
Odds:
Dublin 1/8, Antrim 6/1, Draw 12/1
JOE Prediction: Complacency is Dublin’s greatest enemy but if they can avoid that they should be seven or eight points too good for the Saffrons.
