Galway v Limerick, Semple Stadium, 6pm
Galway v Limerick, Semple Stadium, 6pm
Saturday August 20Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 All- Ireland Semi FinalGalway v Limerick, Semple Stadium, 6pm
Saturday will be the first time fans have seen the Galway U21's, who enter the 2011 Championship for the first time to face a Limerick side who showed real mettle in defeating Cork after extra time in the Gaelic Grounds two weeks ago.
Limerick made their mark early on in the game with a goal after just 19 seconds and went on to score 2-3 in a five minute spell in the second half, all of which will make Galway wary of their attacking prowess. They will be on the look out for the likes of Declan Hannon, Kevin Downes (if he's declared fit to play), Graeme Mulcahy and Michael Ryan who have all been deadly from the front lines this year.
Limerick may be at a disadvantage having not seen Galway play yet this year, but they will be familiar with many of the Galway players, with six of those starting on Saturday also on the senior squad. Amongst them is David Burke, who scored four frees in this fixture against Dublin last year, and if the Tribesmen want to reach their second All Ireland in successive years they will be looking to their more experienced players to overcome a Limerick side who travel to Thurles in buoyant mood.
In what will to be a close encounter, both teams will fancy their chances and head in with plenty of confidence. It wouldn't be surprising if this game followed the same pattern as the Munster final where both teams could only be separated after extra time. Either way, it promises to be a mouth watering clash.
This year's new addition to GAA broadcasting, the playercam, will be in place for this Bord Gáis Energy U-21 encounter in Thurles and streamed in full and live by TG4. The playercam will allow people at home to get a completely different view of the match and can be accessed through the TG4 website, tg4.tv. An additional bonus to the match day experience will be the inclusion of a QR code in the match day programme. Scanning the QR code with your smartphone will allow access to exclusive content on the match and the chance to win EUR1000 worth of gear for your club, a training session with Joe Canning, plus other fantastic prizes.
Limerick: A. Murphy; A. Dempsey, P. Begley, S. O'Reilly; J. O'Brien, C. Hayes, T. O'Callaghan; C. Allis, S. O'Brien; N. Kennedy, D. Hannon, S. Dowling; M. Ryan, K. Downes, G. Mulcahy.
Galway: J. Ryan; D. Connolly, N. Donoghue, G. O'Halloran; R. Foy, P. Gordon, J. Grealish; J. Coen, D. Burke; B. Daly, N. Burke, T. Haran; J. Regan, C. Cooney, D. Glennon.