GAA Preview: Limerick set for big response in Thurles battle – Saturday from 3:00pm
The All-Ireland football series gets underway this weekend. For some it might initially be a bit of a phony war, while a Munster Hurling double bill on Sunday afternoon will have full-on battle lines drawn.
Selections
- Kerry to beat Mayo
- Galway to beat Tyrone
- Clare and Cork to draw
- Limerick to beat Tipperary
*Prices subject to fluctuation.
Football – Kerry can win phony war with Mayo
Kerry vs. Mayo, Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney – Saturday May 20, 3.00pm
– Live on GAAGO
The All-Ireland series in the football championship begins this weekend and, in Group 1, the big clash is that of Kerry and Mayo in Killarney.
It sees the reigning All-Ireland champions taking on this spring’s Allianz League kingpins. It should be set for a firecracker but the restructured nature of the championship may decree otherwise. In a four-team round robin group, only one side will be eliminated and that, it seems extremely likely, will be either Cork or Louth.
Mayo and Kerry, regardless of the outcome on Saturday, will fancy their chances of being in the knockout stages.
To that end, Kevin McStay’s side are unlikely to be at fever pitch here. Even if they are, their Connacht capitulation against Roscommon last month leaves them with a mountain to climb and Kerry should oblige with home advantage.
Football – Dubs to master Wee County
Dublin vs Louth, Leinster SFC Final, Croke Park, Dublin – Sunday 14th May 1.45pm
– Live on GAAGO
Galway came through Connaught unscathed and will fancy the job with home advantage when Tyrone come calling at Salthill on Saturday evening.
The Tribesmen had three points to spare when these sides clashed in Tuam back in February and can hold sway once more over the visitors from the north.
Tyrone were left smarting as they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory last month in their Ulster Championship tussle with Monaghan.
The Red Hands will need to improve significantly on that effort, certainly in terms of delivering across the full 70 minutes, against a Galway side that are going through the gears effectively.
Hurling – Clare and Cork too hard to separate
Clare vs. Cork, Cusack Park, Ennis – Sunday May 21st, 2.00pm
– Live on RTE2
The Banner backed up their victory over All-Ireland champions Limerick to jump to the top of the Munster round-robin with a facile win over a misfiring Waterford last weekend.
Clare and Cork do battle on Sunday afternoon knowing this game will have a massive impact on their final standings. Clare will be finished after Sunday and can set the clubhouse target on six points if they win. Cork would leapfrog their hosts with a win in Ennis and the Rebels will know how important that could be given their final game is an away-day against Limerick.
Brian Lohan’s men are marginal favourites going into this but, outside of the games contested by Waterford at times, this Munster hurling championship has produced some epic cliff hangers.
Cork drew with Tipperary a fortnight ago, while Clare edged Limerick by a single point before that. It’s not hard to see these sides entering the closing stages in near tandem and at around 8/1, the draw is a very plausible outcome.
Hurling – Tipp may suffer from Treaty reaction
Tipperary vs. Limerick, Semple Stadium, Thurles – Sunday May 21, 4.00pm
– Live on RTE2
Limerick’s 11-game unbeaten run in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship ended with a stunning narrow defeat to neighbours Clare at the Gaelic Grounds three weeks ago.
In a see-saw battle, John Kiely’s side were wasteful in hitting a total of 15 wides, and it leaves them with their backs to the wall as they make the trip to Tipp on Sunday afternoon.
The Premier meanwhile come into this game unbeaten following an explosive draw with Cork that saw them tied at 4-19 to 2-25 after a pulsating clash on Leeside.
It was an outcome that suited Cork more, given they came back from five points behind to level with a late 2-4 burst to Tipp’s 1-2 in the closing ten minutes. That stalemate leaves both Cork and Tipp entering Sunday as the only unbeaten sides in Munster, but also facing jeopardy if things don’t go their way now.
Wounded by the loss to Clare, expect a response from Limerick in this one.
GAA Preview 20/05/2023
