Allianz Hurling league Opening Weekend

thebison

What a opening weekend of Hurling

Just seen this on Setanta's FB page. Is the Limerick v Clare match starting late or delayed coverage?

Two cracking Aliianz Hurling League games on Setanta Ireland this Saturday. We have Cork v Waterford live at 18.30, followed by Limerick v Clare. Early predictions?

Fancy Waterford And Limerick to win their respective games...


Predictions?

edit: Just seen on FB that Limerick v Clare is live on Setanta Sports 1.

aidan24326

Hard to predict results at this time of year when you don't know for sure what stage of training teams are at, how much hurling they've done or anything else. A couple of interesting games all the same though.

blackbelt

aidan24326 wrote: »

Hard to predict results at this time of year when you don't know for sure what stage of training teams are at, how much hurling they've done or anything else. A couple of interesting games all the same though.

The game in Galway will be one to look out for.Will we get the Galway team to give a guard of honour to the defending league champions?:D

Mountainlad

blackbelt wrote: »

The game in Galway will be one to look out for.Will we get the Galway team to give a guard of honour to the defending league champions?:D

Is that just because it's Dublin?

Think if Cork lose to us considering the amount of players we have missing, they're probably going down. Looking at their team, suprisingly their forward line catches the eye. Tall ball winning player in Pa Cronin, who showed a lot of form last year, flanked by Conor Lehane who is Cork's best young prospect and the pacy Cathal Naughton. A strong full forward line too with Pebble and Patrick Horgan in there, both potential big scorers on their day. Be interesting to see what role Ben O'Connor assumes as corner forward wouldn't be his natural position. This is the line where the game could well be won for Cork as Liam Lawlor is out and Noel Connors probably won't play either, meaning we'll have a makeshift full back line.

At midfield and in the half forward line however Cork may have their work cut out for them. I dunno who'll be in midfield for us now but the last time I saw Sean Og in an inter county jersey he wasn't up to the pace, we'll see what's changed, and it's a big ask of the lad just out of minor. Gardiner is pushing on as well, and a big test for the rookie centre back Cashman who'll have to mark Brick tomorrow. William Egan is now in his third year and you'd expect a decent showing from him. Two good corner backs, another interesting aspect of this game is Stephen McDonnell switching to full back. Last year Eoin Dillon was taken for 5 points by Shane Walsh in the league, and Mullane gave Cadogan a lot of trouble in 2010. A position Cork are having trouble with in recent times, luckily enough for McDonnell neither of those two are available for selection, he will likely face Seamus Prendergast.

I'll wait to hear our team being named before I predict a winner.

Tipp team looks fairly strong, think they'll beat Kilkenny. Galway should beat Dublin with home advantage.

bullpost

Isn't Joe Canning out? They always look a different team without him.

Mountainlad wrote: »

Galway should beat Dublin with home advantage.

aidan24326

bullpost wrote: »

Isn't Joe Canning out? They always look a different team without him.

Yeah he's out for a few weeks with a shoulder injury he picked up in a Fitzgibbon Cup game. In a way it's no harm as we often tend to rely on him too much when he's there so it will force others to step up to the mark, and force somebody else to take on the freetaking duties aswell (no Farragher either so I'm not sure who it will be).

Mountainlad

bullpost wrote: »

Isn't Joe Canning out? They always look a different team without him.

Dublin are missing a lot more and I can see more hunger in the Galway team.

I can't say Cork will beat Waterford, the furthest I can go is say they have a good chance. I'm not willing to commit to say we'll win either (cop out I know). It'll be tight, that I'm sure of, whether the quality will be there or not who knows. I am feeling more positive about our fullback line though and that we have Shane Walsh starting. Main concern would be the half back line.

adrian522

Kilkenny team to face tipp:

1.DAVID HERITY DUNNAMAGGIN

2.JACKIE TYRRELL JAMES STEPHENS

3.J.J. DELANEY FENIANS

4.NOEL HICKEY DUNNAMAGGIN

5.TOMMY WALSH TULLAROAN

6. BRIAN HOGAN O’LOUGHLIN GAELS

7.PAUL MURPHY DANESFORT

8.PADDY HOGAN DANESFORT

9.MICHAEL FENNELLY BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS

10.T.J. REID BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS

11.MICHAEL RICE CARRICKSHOCK

12.EOIN LARKIN – Captain JAMES STEPHENS

13.COLIN FENNELLY BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS

14.RICHIE POWER CARRICKSHOCK

15. MATHEW RUTH JAMES STEPHENS

16 EOIN MURPHY GLENMORE

17.CONOR FOGARTY ERIN’S OWN

18.KIERAN JOYCE ROWER INISTIOGE

19.RICHIE DOYLE BARROW RANGERS

20.LESTER RYAN CLARA

21.AIDAN FOGARTY EMEARLDS

22.JOHN MULHALL ST. MARTIN’S

23.RICHIE HOGAN DANESFORT

24. MARK BERGIN O’LOUGHLIN GAEL

25. WILLIE PHELAN DUNNAMAGGIN

26.CILLIAN BUCKLEY DICKSBORO

Tipp team :

Tipperary (SH v Kilkenny): D Gleeson; D Maher, P Curran, M Cahill; S Maher, C O’Mahony, Pádraic Maher; B Maher, D Young; G Ryan, N McGrath, A Ryan; P Bourke, B O’Meara, J O’Brien.

Fireball07

Looking at those two teams, I'd fancy Kilkenny to win.

Tipp team without Bonner Maher, Corbett and Kelly against a very strong Kilkenny team, who bar Shefflin are pretty much full-strength.