The stakes are high as All-Ireland champions Tipperary host Clare in this evening’s Munster senior hurling championship round robin clash.

Tipp know that defeat tonight would leave their summer on life support, and leave them looking to Waterford for a favour against Limerick tomorrow.

Meanwhile Clare know that a win would clinch their place in the top three, but anything else would leave them with work to do when they travel to Cork next weekend.

Throw-in at Semple Stadium is at 7pm. We’ll have the latest team news in a moment.

TEAM NEWS: Tipperary line out as named earlier this week, with Craig Morgan and Jason Forde both starting.

Tipperary

1. Rhys Shelly

2. Robert Doyle
3. Eoghan Connolly
4. Michael Breen

5. Craig Morgan
6. Ronan Maher (c)
7. Bryan O’Mara

8. Willie Connors
9. Alan Tynan

10. Jake Morris
11. Andrew Ormond
12. Oisin O’Donoghue

13. Darragh McCarthy
14. John McGrath
15. Jason Forde

TEAM NEWS: Three late changes to the Clare team named earlier this week – John Conlon, David McInerney and Diarmuid Stritch all start in place of Rory Hayes, Conor Cleary and David Reidy.

Clare

1. Eibhear Quilligan

19. David McInerney
17. John Conlon
4. Adam Hogan

5. Diarmuid Ryan
6. Niall O’Farrell
7. Cathal Malone

8. Darragh Lohan
9. Ryan Taylor

10. Shane O’Donnell
11. Peter Duggan
12. Seán Rynne

22. Diarmuid Stritch
14. Mark Rodgers
15. Tony Kelly (c)

THROW IN: We’re underway in Semple.

1 min — Clare 0-1 Tipperary 0-0: Sean Rynne points the opening score of the game.

2 mins – There’s a strong wind in Semple this evening, blowing into the Town End, favouring Clare in this first half.

2 mins – Clare 0-1 Tipperary 0-1: Beautiful opening score by Jason Forde who cuts over a sideline ball to draw Tipp level.

3 mins - Eoghan Connolly has a long-range free from just inside the Clare half, but it holds up in the breeze, drops just short, and ends up in the paw of John Conlon.

4 mins — Clare 0-2 Tipperary 0-2: Cathal Malone’s point for Clare is cancelled out straight away by Jason Forde.

5 mins – Ryan Taylor drops a ball into the edge of the square where Peter Duggan and Ronan Maher are doing battle. Duggan fires to the net, but not before fouling Maher, according to referee Thomas Walsh.

6 mins – Willie Connors is shown a yellow card for a heavy shoulder charge on Mark Rodgers. Rodgers needs quite a bit of treatment here.

9 mins — Clare substitution: Rodgers can’t continue, and he’ll be replaced by David Fitzgerald. Replays suggest that Connors’ shoulder may have caught him around the jaw.

9 mins — Clare 0-3 Tipperary 0-2: Tony Kelly points the free to restore Clare’s lead.

10 mins – On GAA+ co-commentary, Tommy Walsh suggests that the breeze in Clare’s favour in this first half could be worth seven or eight points.

10 mins — Clare 0-3 Tipperary 0-3: Jake Morris levels it up for Tipp.

11 mins – Frantic defending around the Tipp square, as Rhys Shelly drops the ball, but Tipp scramble it clear.

11 mins — Clare 0-4 Tipperary 0-3: Tony Kelly fires over his first from play.

13 mins — Reverse blood sub: Mark Rodgers is cleared to continue and replaces David Fitzgerald, who managed to pick up a booking during his brief spell on the pitch.

13 mins — Clare 0-4 Tipperary 0-4: Alan Tynan gets his first of the day to draw Tipp level.

15 mins – Clare are asking questions of the Tipp full-back line with a lot of long, direct deliveries in towards Duggan. Ronan Maher has the answer to the latest of them, plucking the sliotar from the sky and powering clear.

16 mins — Tipperary 0-5 Clare 0-4: Diarmuid Ryan tries to flick a loose ball away from Willie Connors, but Connors is live to it, picks his pocket, and turns the turnover into a point.

18 mins – Sean Rynne catches Andrew Ormond, and gets a yellow card as well. It’s been a frantic opening quarter.

20 mins — Tipperary 0-5 Clare 0-5: Diarmuid Stritch points from the left to draw Clare level.

21 mins — Clare 0-6 Tipperary 0-5: And Stritch quickly follows it up with another, a lovely piece of individual skill before firing over from long range.

22 mins — Clare 0-7 Tipperary 0-5: And Stritch does it again! What a couple of minutes for the youngster. That’s three in quick succession.

23 mins – He is human after all! Stritch goes for a quick four-timer but pulls this one left and wide for Clare’s fifth wide of the afternoon.

24 mins – Peter Duggan has a sight on goal but he’s under pressure and his shot is too close to Shelly, who stretches out his hurl to push it away.

25 mins — Clare substitution: Mark Rodgers, who has looked out of sorts since coming back, is not able to continue; it’s Ian Galvin who replaces him on this occasion, with David Fitzgerald held in reserve.

26 mins — Clare 0-8 Tipperary 0-5: There was advantage accruing to Clare in the build-up to Duggan’s earlier miss, so when play resumes, it does so with Tony Kelly putting a free over the bar.

27 mins — Clare 0-9 Tipperary 0-5: Instant impact from Ian Galvin, who sets up Sean Rynne for his second of the day.

28 mins – Diarmuid Ryan has a go from distance but it hangs left and wide.

29 mins – There’s come confusion as a Clare wide is belatedly checked by HawkEye, but after a delay, referee Thomas Walsh waves play on with the score unchanged. Clare still lead by four.

31 mins — Clare 0-11 Tipperary 0-5: Ian Galvin and Cathal Malone stretch Clare’s lead out to six, and they’re finally profiting from this first-half wind.

32 mins — Clare 0-11 Tipperary 0-6: Tipp needed that score – their first in 15 minutes or so – and John McGrath sets up Jason Forde to point.

32 mins — Clare 0-12 Tipperary 0-6: Clare respond immediately – Stritch creates the chance for Tony Kelly, who sends over his fourth of the day.

34 mins — Clare 0-13 Tipperary 0-6: Kelly returns the favour, and now Stritch has his fourth of the day.

35 mins — Clare 0-14 Tipperary 0-6: HawkEye is summoned into action again to rule on a Sean Rynne effort. Rhys Shelly is adamant that it was wide, but the technology rules differently. Clare are eight up now, the kind of lead that will really ask questions of the All-Ireland champions after the break.

35+3 mins — Clare 0-14 Tipperary 0-7: Darragh McCarthy points a free to keep Tipp ticking over. There’ll be another couple of minutes of additional time still to play here.

35+4 mins — Clare 0-14 Tipperary 0-8: Shane O’Donnell fouls Jake Morris, and McCarthy converts the free to leave six between the sides at the break.

HALF TIME: Clare 0-14 Tipperary 0-8

An absorbing first half of hurling in Semple Stadium. Tipp will have a strong breeze at their backs in the second half, but their All-Ireland title defence hangs in the balance. It’s all set up nicely.

SECOND HALF: We’re back underway in Semple.

GOAL FOR CLARE! Clare 1-14 Tipperary 0-8 (Galvin, 36′)

What a start to the second half for Clare. Ryan Taylor does brilliantly in midfield, the ball breaks kindly for Galvin, and he bats it past Shelly. Tipp need a big response quickly.

38 mins — Clare 1-14 Tipperary 0-10: And that is a response from Tipp – Darragh McCarthy points a free, and then Jake Morris adds one from play.

39 mins — Clare 1-15 Tipperary 0-10: Stritch is thoroughly enjoying himself out there; his latest point is his fifth of the day.

40 mins — Clare 1-15 Tipperary 0-11: Jake Morris brings Tipp back to within seven.

41 mins – BIG save from Eibhear Quilligan! The Clare keeper does great to get his body behind the ball and keep it out. That could be a big moment come the end of the game.

43 mins — Clare 1-16 Tipp 0-11: Sean Rynne is another Clare youngster who is thoroughly enjoying himself out there; he pings over his fourth of the day.

44 mins – Shelly launches a ball down on top of the Clare full-back line, prompting an almighty battle. John Conlon nearly comes away with it, and eventually, when a Clare jersey does claim clean possession, it’s none other than Diarmuid Stritch.

45 mins — Clare 1-17 Tipperary 0-11: Tony Kelly points another free and Clare’s lead is now nine.

47 mins — Clare 1-18 Tipperary 0-11: And now Niall O’Farrell makes it 10. Tipp are in big trouble here and, as things stand, there’s every chance that their summer could be over by this time tomorrow.

48 mins — Clare 1-19 Tipperary 0-11: Peter Duggan clips over a sideline. It’s all Clare at the moment.

49 mins — Clare 1-19 Tipperary 0-12: Jake Morris comes deep to win possession, turn and point. Tipp need a whole more of that, and a few others to step up alongside Morris.

50 mins — Clare 1-19 Tipperary 0-13: Eoghan Connolly makes it two in a row for Tipp. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and all that…

51 mins – Connolly has a chance to keep the momentum going with a long-range free but it’s off target. Tipp have 20 minutes to save their season.

RED CARD! Willie Connors is shown a second yellow for an off the ball incident, and Tipp’s challenge just became even harder. They’re down to 14 for the final 20 minutes.

53 mins — Clare 1-20 Tipperary 0-13: Lovely first touch from Ian Galvin, who points. What an impact the Clare sub has had!

54 mins — Clare 1-21 Tipperary 0-13: Whatever happens from this point on, it’s beyond argument that Clare hurling has a new star in Diarmuid Stritch. Another beautiful point from the youngster.

56 mins — Clare 1-22 Tipperary 0-13: Another Tony Kelly free and their lead is now more than double scores. There’s been a lot to like about how Brian Lohan’s side have gone about their business today.

59 mins – Niall O’Farrell hits Clare’s 11th wide of the day; they’ve had no shortage of scoring chances today, and the lead looks to be a very comfortable one.

60 mins — Clare 1-23 Tipperary 0-13: Peter Duggan is putting together a nice little highlight reel here, and adds another picture-perfect sideline cut to it.

As if it couldn’t get any worse for Tipp and their fans, the heavens have now opened in Thurles.

65 mins — This game has started to peter out into nothingness in the final few minutes. It’s set to be a huge win from Clare – and Tipp will be waiting on Waterford for a huge favour tomorrow.

66 mins — Clare 1-23 Tipperary 0-14: Conor Stakelum’s point cuts Tipp’s deficit to 12.

With six points from play on his first championship start, Diarmuid Stritch is the official player of the match.

70 mins — Clare 1-24 Tipperary 0-15: Eoghan Connolly points a free; Peter Duggan does likewise.

70 mins — Clare 1-25 Tipperary 0-15: And now Duggan adds one from play; that’s four on the day for him.

70+1 mins — Clare 1-25 Tipperary 0-16: Another Eoghan Connolly free as we enter the first of three minutes of additional time.

70+2 mins — Clare 1-25 Tipperary 0-17: Stefan Tobin scores for Tipp as the final moments of the game tick away.

FULL TIME: Clare 1-25 Tipperary 0-17

That’s it from Semple Stadium on an evening when Clare were full value for their win thanks to some immense performances across the park – youngsters Diarmuid Stritch and Sean Rynne will earn plenty of well-deserved plaudits, but there were immense performances across the field from John Conlon, substitute Ian Galvin, and others.

For Tipp, their All-Ireland defence is hanging by a thread, and they’ll be hoping that Waterford can do them a huge favour tomorrow by beating Limerick, leaving the Premier with something to play for heading in to the final round of game next weekend.

That’s all for now, but we’ll have lots more reaction and analysis across the evening – as well as a snap episode of the GAA Weekly podcast – from Fintan O’Toole in Semple Stadium.

Thanks for reading.