Preview: All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals
Limerick manager John Kiely. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Saturday, June 21
All-Ireland senior hurling championship, quarter-finals
Limerick v Dublin, Croke Park, 4pm, RTE
Dublin manager Niall O Ceallachain made it crystal clear immediately after last Saturday's preliminary quarter-final defeat of Kildare that they are targeting a first semi-final place since 2013.
"We really want to be in that last four," said O Ceallachain, mindful of the fact that they'll have to beat many people's All-Ireland favourites to get there.
It's a huge ask because while Dublin showed with their win over Wexford in Leinster, and their second-half performance against Kilkenny, that they can produce excellence, their eventual defeat to the Cats and subsequent loss to Galway suggested they're still a work in progress.
Diarmaid O Dulaing had a big first-half against Kildare in just his second start of the Championship. The Sky Blues faithful will hope that the Commercials talent is hitting a vein of top form. Donal Burke, twice an All-Star nominee, is back among the subs too in a major lift having not featured since coming on against Antrim six weeks ago.
O Dulaing has been named again in a team showing two changes from the side that beat Kildare in Newbridge. Andy Dunphy takes Paddy Dunleavy's spot at wing-back and Conor Burke returns at the expense of big full-forward John Hetherton.
Consistency is required from Ronan Hayes and Fergal Whitely, both goal scorers against Kildare, while Hetherton is a great option to bring on if they're looking to unsettle the Limerick backs with long deliveries.
Putting up a big score against Limerick is just one half of the battle though. You still have to stop the likes of Cian Lynch, Aaron Gillane, Tom Morrissey and Gearoid Hegarty from working their magic.
Sure, Limerick didn't win the Munster final but they weren't beaten over 90 minutes either, only losing to Cork on penalties.
And manager John Kiely is content to start with the very same team again, holding back decorated performers like Seamus Flanagan, Declan Hannon, Cathal O'Neill and Darragh O'Donovan as potential impact subs.
LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash; Adam English, William O'Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Aidan O'Connor, David Reidy.
Subs: Shane Dowling, Peter Casey, Colin Coughlan, Seamus Flanagan, Declan Hannon, Barry Murphy, Fergal O'Connor, Donnacha O Dalaigh, Darragh O'Donovan, Paddy O'Donovan, Cathal O'Neill.
DUBLIN: Sean Brennan; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh; Paddy Doyle, Chris Crummey, Andrew Dunphy; Conor Burke, Brian Hayes; Rian McBride, Fergal Whitely, Cian O'Sullivan; Sean Currie, Ronan Hayes, Diarmaid O Dulaing.
Subs: Eddie Gibbons, Donal Burke, Colin Currie, Paddy Dunleavy, Daire Gray, John Hetherton, Andrew Jamieson Murphy, David Lucey, James Madden, Paul O'Dea, Darragh Power.
Jake Morris is back in the Tipperary team. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Galway v Tipperary, TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 6.15pm, RTE
The last time that Tipperary emerged from a preliminary quarter-final encounter with a big win, they were dumped out of the Championship in their next game by Galway.
That was only two years ago, when Galway overcame a Tipp side that was fresh off hitting Offaly for 7-38.
This time around, Tipp are coming off a 3-32 to 0-18 preliminary quarter-final win over Laois and will have that 2023 two-point quarter-final loss to Galway very much in mind.
The sense this time is that Tipp have the greater momentum behind them, not just because they shrugged Laois aside last weekend but after a solid Munster campaign in which they only missed out on a final place on scoring difference.
Drawing with Limerick, allied to wins over Clare and Waterford, suggests they are serious MacCarthy Cup contenders.
Darragh McCarthy, Sam O'Farrell and Oisin O'Donoghue represent the future of Tipp and the rising star trio struck 1-11 between them against Laois. The vastly more experienced Jason Forde, Willie Connors and John McGrath contributed a combined 2-12.
Manager Liam Cahill has made three changes in total to his team for the trip to Limerick city. Jake Morris and Eoghan Connolly come back into the team but the real intrigue surrounds Peter McGarry's call up. It will be a first Championship start for the former footballer who has been named at midfield after coming on against Laois.
It's a Tipp side with a strong spine, genuine panel depth and, most importantly, wind in their sails. As for Galway, they're still searching for that vital spark to ignite their season.
The middle four games of their Leinster campaign augured well but the losses to Kilkenny in Round 1 and again in the Leinster final, and in particular the flat performances each time, will concern boss Micheal Donoghue.
In an effort to find that spark, Donoghue has made a couple of defensive switches, recalling goalkeeper Darach Fahy and corner-back Darren Morrissey.
Subs Conor Cooney, Anthony Burns, Declan McLaughlin, Jason Flynn and Colm Molloy are all solid attacking options if required.
GALWAY: Darach Fahy; Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke, Darren Morrissey; Cianan Fahy, Gavin Lee, TJ Brennan; Sean Linnane, David Burke; John Fleming, Cathal Mannion, Tom Monaghan; Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Kevin Cooney.
Subs: Darragh Walsh, Jack Grealish, Dan Loftus, Ronan Glennon, Rory Burke, Conor Cooney, Tiernan Killeen, Anthony Burns, Declan McLaughlin, Jason Flynn, Colm Molloy.
TIPPERARY: Rhys Shelly; Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen; Craig Morgan, Ronan Maher, Bryan O'Mara; Willie Connors, Peter McGarry; Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond, Sam O'Farrell; Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath, Jason Forde.
Subs: Barry Hogan, Joe Caesar, Sean Kenneally, Seamus Kennedy, Brian McGrath, Noel McGrath, Oisin O'Donoghue, Johnny Ryan, Conor Stakelum, Darragh Stakelum, Alan Tynan.
