Senior hurlers face Offaly in vital SHC clash

Tue, 29th May 2018

Another exciting weekend beckons in the Leinster SHC and Munster SHC ‘round-robin’ series with two games in either province, spread over Saturday and Sunday. Offaly will complete their four-match programme in Leinster when they play Dublin on Sunday.

There’s also Joe McDonagh Cup action as the race continues to clinch a place in the final, which carries qualification for the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals. The line-up is as follows:

SATURDAY

Leinster SHC: Wexford v Galway, Innovate Wexford Park, 5.00pm

Munster SHC: Cork v Limerick, Páirc Uí Chaoimh 7.00pm

Joe McDonagh Cup (3.0pm): Westmeath v Antrim, TEG Cusack Park; Laois v Carlow, O’Moore Park; Meath v Kerry, Páirc Tailteann.

SUNDAY

Leinster SHC: Dublin v Offaly, Parnell Park, 3.00pm Munster: Waterford v Tipperary, Gaelic Grounds, 4.00pm

DUBLIN v OFFALY

They meet in the championship for the first time since 2011 when Dublin won a Leinster quarter-final by four points.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2011: Dublin 2-21 Offaly 1-20 (Leinster quarter-final)

2007: Offaly 2-25 Dublin 2-13 (All-Ireland qualifier)

2006: Offaly 1-17 Dublin 0-17 (All-Ireland qualifier)

2005: Offaly 2-15 Dublin 2-14 (All-Ireland qualifier)

2004: Offaly 2-15 Dublin 1-13 (All-Ireland qualifier)

Offaly have lost three games in the Round Robin to Galway, Kilkenny and Wexford while Dublin lost to Kilkenny and Wexford. The losers of the Dublin-Offaly clash will face relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup tier next year. Dublin and Offaly met in the first round of this year’s Allianz League (1B) in late January when Offaly won by 2-25 to 1-15 in Croke Park.

WEXFORD v GALWAY

They meet for the second time in eleven months in the championship, with Galway having won the Leinster final by nine points last year.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS

2017: Galway 0-29 Wexford 1-17 (Leinster final)

2010: Galway 2-22 Wexford 1-14 (Leinster quarter-final)

1996: Wexford 2-13 Galway 3-7 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1976: Wexford 3-14 Galway 2-14 (All-Ireland semi-final) Replay

1976: Wexford 5-14 Galway 2-23 (All-Ireland semi-final) Draw

Wexford lead the ‘Round Table’ on scoring difference (+26) from Galway (+20) and Kilkenny (+3). All three have four points but Wexford and Galway have each played two games while Kilkenny have played three. Wexford and Galway met in the Allianz League quarter-final in March when Wexford won by 1-23 to 0-23 in Innovate Wexford Park.

This will be only the 11th championship clash between the counties (the fourth in 40 years). Wexford lead 6-3 with one draw from the previous ten games.

CORK v LIMERICK

They meet in the championship for the first time in four years, with Cork having won the last meeting in the 2014 Munster final.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS

2014: Cork 2-24 Limerick 0-24 (Munster final)

2013: Limerick 0-24 Cork 0-15 (Munster final)

2010: Cork 2-19 Limerick 0-12 (Munster semi-final)

2006: Cork 0-19 Limerick 0-18 (All-Ireland quarter-final)

2004: Cork 1-18 Limerick 2-12 (Munster semi-final)

This will be the 65th championship meeting between the counties. Cork lead 45-15 while there were four draws in the previous 64 games.

Limerick scored no goals in their last four championship games against Cork.

Cork are having their third Round Robin outing after beating Clare and drawing with Tipperary in their first two games.

Limerick are having their second outing in the ‘Round Robin’, having beaten Tipperary by six points in the first round.

WATERFORD v TIPPERARY

Their last championship meeting was in the 2016 Munster final when Tipperary won by 5-19 to 0-13 in the Gaelic Grounds. Seamus Callanan on 1-11 and John McGrath on 3-2 were top scorers for the winners.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS

2016: Tipperary 5-19 Waterford 0-13 (Munster final)

2015: Tipperary 0-21 Waterford 0-16 (Munster final)

2012: Tipperary 2-17 Waterford 0-16 (Munster final

2011: Tipperary 7-19 Waterford 0-19 (Munster final)

2010: Tipperary 3-19 Waterford 1-18 (All-Ireland semi-final)

Tipperary are seeking their seventh successive championship win over Waterford, having last lost in the 2008 All-Ireland semi-final.

Waterford haven’t scored a goal against Tipperary in any of their last four championship meetings with Tipperary.

Tipperary’s average winning margin over Waterford in their last five championship games is 12 points.

Tipperary beat Waterford by 1-20 to 1-11 in this year’s Allianz League clash in Semple Stadium on February 3. Jason Forde on 1-9 (0-6 frees, 1-0 penalty, 0-1 ‘65’) was Tipperary’s top scorer.

Tipperary have lost one (Limerick) and drawn one (Cork) of their first two Round Robin outings. Waterford lost their first game (Clare) last Sunday.

JOE McDONAGH CUP

Westmeath lead the way on six points, having won their first three games. They are followed by Antrim and Carlow on our points each. Laois and Kerry have two each while Meath have yet to pick up a point. Westmeath host Antrim on Saturday where a win for Michael Ryan’s men would secure a place in the final. Laois need to beat Carlow to have a chance of staying in line for a place in the final.

2018 GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
LEINSTER

Round Robin 1 May 12: Galway 5-18 Offaly 2-15, Bórd na Mona O’Connor Park. May13: Kilkenny 1-24 Dublin 3-16, Parnell Park.
Round Robin 2 May 20: Kilkenny 2-19 Offaly 1-13, Nowlan Park; Wexford 0-22 Dublin 2-14, Innovate Wexford Park.
Round Robin 3 May 26: Wexford 5-24 Offaly 2-9, Bórd na Mona O’Connor Park. May 27: Galway 1-22 Kilkenny 2-11, Pearse Stadium
Round Robin 4 June 2: Wexford v Galway, Innovate Wexford Park June 3: Dublin v Offaly, Parnell Park.
Round Robin 5 June 9: Kilkenny v Wexford, Nowlan Park; Galway v Dublin, Pearse Stadium

July 1: Final, Croke Park.

MUNSTER

Round Robin 1 May 20: Limerick 1-23 Tipperary 2-14, Gaelic Grounds; Cork 2-23 Clare 1-21, Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Round Robin 2 May 27: Tipperary 2-20 Cork 1-23, Semple Stadium; Clare 2-27 Waterford 2-18, Cusack Park.
Round Robin 3 June 2: Cork v Limerick, Páirc Uí Chaoimh June 3: Waterford v Tipperary. Gaelic Grounds
Round Robin 4 June 10: Limerick v Waterford, Gaelic Grounds; Tipperary v Clare, Semple Stadium
Round Robin 5 June 17: Waterford v Cork, Semple Stadium; Clare v Limerick, Cusack Park
July 1: Final

All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals July 7/8: 3rd placed Munster v Joe McDonagh Cup winners; 3rd placed Leinster v Joe McDonagh Cup runners-up

All-Ireland quarter-finals July 15: Munster runners-up v Preliminary quarter-final winner; Leinster runners-up v Preliminary quarter-final winner. July 28: All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park July 29: All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park August 19: All-Ireland final, Croke Park

JOE McDONAGH CUP
Round 1: Antrim 5-25 Meath 2-18; Carlow 0-21 Kerry 0-18; Westmeath 2-21 Laois 1-21.

Round 2: Kerry 3-20 Laois 0-19; Antrim 2-16 Carlow 0-19; Westmeath 4-24 Meath 2-17.

Round 3 May 19/20: Westmeath 2-12 Kerry 0-15; Laois 1-20 Antrim 1-19; Carlow 0-21 Meath 1-14.

Round 4 June 3: Meath v Kerry; Laois v Carlow; Westmeath v Antrim.

Round 5 June 9/10: Meath v Laois; Carlow v Westmeath; Antrim v Kerry.