Hurling previews: All eyes on Limerick as Cork aim to keep up the pressure

Saturday

Leinster SHC

Wexford v Offaly, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 5.0 – After some mildly encouraging displays, Wexford were poor in the last outing in Galway. Manager Keith Rossiter lamented inadequate work rate as well as sloppy defending, all of which were punished. This is important for them if they hope to take their campaign to the last day when they go in search of more heroics against Kilkenny. Offaly have found life at the top tough and last week, despite improvement, were walloped in Nowlan Park. They will have to rely on winning the crucial Antrim match, as Rossiter demands a response from the home team. Verdict: Wexford

Galway v Antrim, Pearse Stadium Galway, 1.30 [Live, GAA+] – Galway have picked up the tempo a bit in recent weeks, fired along by Cathal Mannion’s terrific form. A downbeat Antrim arrive after another heavy home defeat, this time by Dublin, which also cost them top forward James McNaughton, who was red-carded. Not for the faint hearted. Verdict: Galway

Galway's Cathal Mannion: in stellar scoring form. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/ Inpho.

Sunday

Leinster SHC

Ciarán Kilkenny inspires Dublin as win over Galway shows they’re not done yet

Lee Chin’s late scores get Wexford over the line as Offaly let opportunity slip

Camogie captains use Leinster final victory speeches to ask for change at Special Congress

Kilkenny v Dublin, UPMC Nowlan Park 3.0 – The latest in Dublin’s eternal reliving of the three-card trick, in which they convince everyone that this time they are going to give Kilkenny a decent match, which sometimes happens in the round robin if not in Leinster finals. Under new management, Dublin have steadily picked up points in a backloaded campaign, which finishes here and against Galway. Kilkenny have also played well, cleared most of their injuries and need just a draw. Imperative that Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s team give a good account of themselves, so that there is a platform for the rest of the season. Verdict: Kilkenny

Kilkenny’s TJ Reid in action against Offaly’s Ben Connelly in last weekend's Leinster round-robin game. Photograph: Ken Sutton / Inpho

Munster SHC

Limerick v Cork, TUS Gaelic Grounds Limerick, 4.0 [Live, RTÉ2] – This fixture has created plenty of fireworks since the round robin began, most vividly last year in two matches that Cork nicked despite Limerick having every opportunity themselves.

Even in the league, Limerick chose this fixture to put in a performance and led by four going down the stretch but again, Cork caught them for a draw. The home side will hope to bring further incremental improvement to their packed-to-capacity venue and put pressure on the visitors’ fault-lines: a mysterious disinclination to sustain 70-minute displays and a slight recurrence of the disciplinary issues that dogged their early championship last year.

Yet, at their best with all guns blazing pace and precision, Pat Ryan’s team have looked scary. In the past year, they have never failed to put in a consistent display in this fixture, as the late surges indicate. Limerick may want it more given recent interactions but will Cork pay any attention? Verdict: Cork

Tipperary manager Liam Cahill: Acutely aware of the importance of getting out of the province. Photograph: Natasha Barton / Inpho.

Tipperary v Waterford, FBD Semple Stadium Thurles, 2.0 [Live, 2.0] – Having done a decent job on refitting Tipperary, Liam Cahill knows the importance of getting out of the province to continue the development work and is at the same time mindful of this fixture’s pitfalls. Even with their blank record in the round-robin, Waterford are unbeaten by Tipp since the format resumed in 2022.

The home side did well, however, to bounce back from the Páirc Uí Chaoimh calamity and beat Clare in Ennis. They are getting good, productive form from the forwards and if the defence can lose focus, it brings high energy and will need to if Waterford get a run on them. On balance, though. Verdict: Tipperary