The fixtures
Cork v Antrim Sunday 2pm (Live on RTE 2)
Galway v Tipperary Sunday 4pm (Live on RTE 2)
The previews
Galway v Tipperary
If you cast your mind back to the end of May, these sides seemed to be heading in completely different directions. Galway were efficient if unspectacular in defeat of Wexford in their championship opener, but had impressed so much in the League that they were being touted in many quarters as Kilkenny’s closest challengers in this year’s championship.
Tipperary, on the other hand, were demolished by Cork in Páirc Uà Chaoimh and looked very much a team resting on the laurels of last year’s campaign. Two months later, however and the momentum has shifted in favour of Liam Sheedy’s side.
The Premier have regrouped and victories over Wexford and Offaly have renewed confidence and belief in a side that are now favourites heading into Sunday’s encounter at Croke Park.
Galway have looked lethargic since their league final defeat of Cork and after struggling to overcome Offaly, their performance against Kilkenny showed ominously just how far they are adrift of the best team in the country.
Their defence has looked particularly vulnerable, while worryingly, the ace in their pack, Joe Canning, has performed at a level far below his extremely high standards. There is a big performance in Galway yet this season, however and they will need to produce it on Sunday if they are to overcome an in-form Tipperary outfit.
Liam Sheedy has named an unchanged side from the fifteen that defeated Offaly while John McIntyre has made three changes from the side that lost the Leinster final to Kilkenny. David Burke returns from suspension to replace Adrian Cullinane in midfield, while Eanna Ryan and Cyril Donnellan come into the half forward line in place of Aengus Callanan and Aidan Harte.
Teams:
Galway: Colm Callanan; Damien Joyce, Shane Kavanagh, Ollie Canning; Donal Barry, Tony Og Regan, David Collins; Ger Farragher, David Burke; Eanna Ryan, Cyril Donnellan, Andy Smith; Damien Hayes, Joe Canning, Iarla Tannian.
Tipperary: B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill; D Fanning, C O’Mahony, Padraic Maher; B Maher, D Young; G Ryan, Patrick Maher, S McGrath; N McGrath, L Corbett, E Kelly.
Odds:
Galway 7/4, Tipperary 4/7, Draw 10/1
JOE Prediction: Tipperary to edge what will be a tight encounter by less than four points.
Cork v Antrim
Colourful Antrim boss Dinny Cahill (pictured with Joe Dooley below) has kept his mouth shut ahead of Sunday’s encounter at Croke Park and it is good to know that he has learned from his mistakes in the past.
Ahead of the last championship meeting between the sides in 2004, Cahill had the gall to verbally attack the Rebels (something Corkonians are sensitive to at the best of times) and in particular the legendary Brian Corcoran, who Cahill labelled as ‘finished’.
Cork were sufficiently riled to inflict a 21-point hammering upon the Saffrons on that occasion and although the scoreline on Sunday may not be as emphatic as it was six years ago, in all likelihood the outcome will be the same.
Antrim, though, deserve huge credit for their exploits so far this season. They ran an improving Offaly side awful close earlier on in the year and last week staged a spirited fightback to defeat Dublin, who have established themselves as a serious championship outfit in recent years.
Cork, however represent a step up in class and despite a disappointing defeat to Waterford at the weekend, should have enough to progress at Croke Park on Sunday.
On the evidence of the Munster Final replay and to a lesser extent, the drawn game, Cork will have to develop an alternative to the route one tactics they have employed thus far. Aisake ó hAilpÃn has done extremely well at the edge of the square, but Waterford were able to effectively halt the supply line into the big man and the likes of Kilkenny will no doubt have similar strategies waiting should they run into the Rebels at a later stage in the championship.
Denis Walsh has been hit with a number of injuries ahead of Sunday’s clash with Shane O’Neill, Seán Óg ó hAilpÃn and Jerry O’Connor all ruled out while Ronan Curran will start despite sustaining a dead leg in last Saturday’s clash.
Ray Ryan and Paudie O’Sullivan come into the side in place of the injured O’Neill and Patrick Horgan, while Michael Cussen and Niall McCarthy switch positions in the half forward line. Dinny Cahill has named the same fifteen that defeated Dublin last weekend.
Teams:
Cork: D Og Cusack; S Murphy, E Cadogan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, R Ryan; T Kenny, C Naughton; B O’Connor, M Cussen, N McCarthy; P O’Sullivan, A Ó hAilpÃn, K Murphy.
Antrim: Chris O’Connell; Kieran McGourty, Cormac Donnelly, Sean Delargy; Paul Shiels, Johnny Campbell, Ciaran Herron; Shane McNaughton, Karl Stewart; Simon McCrory, Neil McManus, Thomas McCann; PJ O’Connell, Liam Watson, Karl McKeegan.
Odds:
Cork 1/14, Antrim 8/1, Draw 16/1
JOE Prediction: Cork to win by five points or more.
