Limerick faces a make-or-break game as they head to Thurles to face a revitalised Tipperary team. The pressure is on for John Kiely’s men to secure a win, as only a victory will guarantee their progress further than the Munster championship. The situation comes as a surprise to many within the GAA considering where Limerick stood only a month ago. However, having played three matches that have culminated in a home loss and a draw, the team has been left in a precarious position. Nevertheless, they are determined to fight their way back and secure a place in the next round.
In other matchups, Clare and Cork lock horns, with Clare being in a stronger position having beaten the defending All-Ireland champions. Meanwhile, a new-look All-Ireland football championship format gets its first outing as the provincial championships draw to a close. Fans can expect exciting games to watch, with Kerry and Mayo facing off against each other in Killarney and Galway hosting Tyrone in Salthill. Tailteann Cup contenders such as Down and Cavan also take the field.
The games will be broadcasted live on TV, with those not possible to watch on terrestrial available through the GAAGO streaming service. With such fierce competition at this stage, there are sure to be some exciting twists and turns as the games get underway.
Limerick’s Make-or-Break Moment
It’s only been a short month since Limerick was the toast of the hurling world, having convincingly beaten Tipperary in their opening championship match. However, it seems like a lifetime ago as John Kiely’s men head to Thurles for their third group match against a resurgent Tipperary team. As things stand, the home side has registered four points from their first two games, having convincingly beaten Waterford and then drawn with Cork.
Limerick’s form has been less than encouraging, with a surprise home defeat to Cork, followed by a turgid display in a draw against Tipperary. With only one point to their name, Limerick travels to our Lady’s Grounds with all to play for, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Win, and they keep their hopes of a Munster championship alive, lose, and it’s an almost certain avenue to the exit door.
The game promises to be a fascinating encounter between two top-class hurling teams. Limerick is the defending All-Ireland champions and would have felt bullish about their chances of progressing from their group with ease. Tipperary, on the other hand, suffered a humbling loss to Limerick in their first game but bounced back in style in their next two to spark interest in the county about their prospects.
Despite the disappointing draw last time out, Limerick will take confidence from their performance against Tipp, where they showed moments of real quality, with Seamus Flanagan leading the line well in the absence of Aaron Gillane. However, they fluffed their lines on numerous occasions when requiring a score to put the game out of Tipp’s reach, which eventually led to a frantic finale where a late Tipperary goal snatched an unlikely draw.
Currently, there are question marks about Limerick’s forward line and whether they have enough firepower to overcome the Tipp challenge. Meanwhile, Tipp is feeling confident, having scored 4-34 in their last two games, and their forwards are hungry for more. The match will likely come down to a war of attrition, midfield duels, and whoever takes their chances better.
Clare and Cork Ready for Battle
The second game of the day is between Clare and Cork, with the Banner team coming off an impressive win against Limerick in their last outing. Clare will be looking to continue their momentum with a win this weekend, a result that should guarantee their progression to the next round. Cork, on the other hand, has only a single win to their name, and they will need a victory to keep their knockout hopes alive.
The teams met in the 2020 Munster Hurling Championship, with Clare coming out on top. Cork will be looking to exact revenge this weekend, however, they need to improve their form. In their last match, they lost to Tipperary by five points, but the margin of defeat could have been more significant if it wasn’t for the heroics of goalkeeper, Patrick Collins.
Clare, on the other side, has been impressive, despite losing to Waterford in their opening match. Their win against Limerick was very convincing, where their defense held Limerick’s scoring to a mere 1-18 and scored an impressive 1-22 points themselves. The Clare forwards have been firing on all cylinders, with Tony Kelly standing out, scoring 0-15 against Limerick.
Clare will look to use this momentum to their advantage but will need to keep their guard up against a resurgent Cork team.
New-look All-Ireland Football Championship Format
As the provincial championships draw to a close, football fans will get to experience a new All-Ireland football championship format for the first time this weekend. The format sees the competition split into four groups, with the winners of each group going straight through to the quarter-final stages. The runners-up in each group will play in the round-robin qualifiers with two teams progressing to the quarter-final stages.
The matches will likely exhibit the same tension and excitement as the previous weeks of football have done, with several matchups sure to keep fans on the edge of their seat. Kerry will face Mayo in what is expected to be the most significant match of the weekend. Both teams have plenty to prove, with Mayo entering the
