1. Clare v Tipperary – Allianz Hurling League Division 1A.
A MASSIVE CROWD is expected at Cusack Park on Sunday as Tipperary make the trip to Ennis to tackle their old rivals Clare.
The Banner County have lost their opening two League fixtures and a third defeat on the spin would leave Davy Fitzgerald’s men staring at a relegation playoff.
But Tipp could do with the points too as they target a top four finish. Eamon O’Shea’s visitors lost their opening fixture heavily to Dublin but bounced back to defeat Galway last time out at Semple Stadium.
The absence of key personnel, coupled with a partisan home crowd, won’t help Tipp’s cause and they’ll have to battle hard for a positive result from this one on a tight pitch.
2. Wexford v Limerick – Allianz Hurling League Division 1B
Liam Dunne’s Wexford welcome back Andrew Shore to their starting line-up for the visit of Limerick to Wexford Park in Division 1B.
And having collected maximum points from their first two games, another win for the Model County would leave them firmly in the driving seat for promotion to Division 1A.
The pressure is on TJ Ryan and Limerick as they make the Slaneyside trip and a slip-up would surely condemn them to a sixth season outside of hurling’s top flight.
The promotion stakes could hardly be higher and this is arguably the most important hurling League fixture of the weekend in terms of the potential consequences for both sides. It’s also the first time the counties have met in competitive fare since Limerick whipped Wexford in last year’s championship clash at Semple Stadium.
3. Cork v Kerry – Allianz Football League Division 1
The clash of Munster heavyweights Cork and Kerry is always something worth looking forward to.
Summer clues can be gained when the local rivals collide and the gameplans adopted by respective managers Brian Cuthbert and Eamonn Fitzmaurice could be replicated if, as expected, they meet again in a Munster final.
Dublin boss Jim Gavin has labelled Cuthbert’s Cork as the most defensive Rebels outfit that he has ever seen but the Leesiders pose an attacking threat too and currently lie second in the table, ahead of Kerry and Donegal on scoring difference.
The return of Paul Galvin to the Kerry set-up is another major boost for the Kingdom and while the combative forward won’t feature this weekend, the visitors will be looking to lay down a marker on enemy soil.
4. Cavan v Kildare – Allianz Football League Division 2
Cavan host Kildare on Saturday evening in a fixture that will have a major impact on the promotion race and relegation scrap.
Cavan find themselves a point behind pace-setters Westmeath, Galway and Down in the quest for Division 1 football in 2016.
At the other end of the table, defeat is simply not an option for Kildare, who have lost their first three games.
Another loss would see the Lilywhites cut further adrift at the bottom and at least two points from safety with games running out. Laois are also pointless but the team sitting directly above Kildare, namely Meath, have a game in hand.
5. Tipperary v Clare – Allianz Football League Division 3
The hurling clash between the counties will attract the majority of the headlines on Sunday but less than 24 hours before that, Clare and Tipp lock horns in a crucial promotion clash in Division 3 of the Allianz Football League.
A win for either side here will provide a massive boost ahead of the crucial run-in but defeat could extinguish the dream of Division 2 fare next season.
With pace-setters Armagh and Fermanagh also meeting this weekend, this is a chance for fourth-placed Clare and Tipp, currently in fifth, to make up some valuable ground.
These two counties were promoted from Division 4 last season and while Clare seem to have adapted better thus far, Tipp have fixtures against Armagh and Fermanagh out of the way, although Peter Creedon’s men did lose both on their travels.
6. Dublin v Cork – Allianz Hurling League Division 1A
A potential floodlit cracker lies in store at Croke Park on Saturday evening when table-toppers Dublin host Cork in Division 1A of the Hurling League.
Dublin, under new manager Ger Cunningham, have been most impressive so far and the Sky Blues have already scalped last year’s League and All-Ireland finalists Tipperary and Kilkenny.
The long-term question for Cunningham and Dublin is whether or not early-season form will carry through when it really matters at the height of summer but for now, this will do just fine.
Dublin were touted as relegation candidates at the beginning of the season but another win would secure a top-four finish and a place in the quarter-finals. Cunningham’s St Finbarrs clubmate Jimmy Barry-Murphy brings his Cork team to GAA HQ high on confidence following victory over Clare in their last outing.
