HURLING/National Football League: The fixture list for phase two of the National Hurling League was announced yesterday. The top sides from Division One A and One B - Kilkenny and Tipperary - will meet as expected in the first round of Group One games on Sunday week, April 13th.

Home advantage at Nowlan Park was given to Kilkenny on the basis they had played only two home games to date, whereas Tipperary had played three. It was also decided to match the top two sides in the first round to enhance the possibility of keeping alive the race for a place in the league final throughout all three rounds.

Phase two involves the top three teams in each division playing off against each other, and the other fixtures follow suit with second playing second (Clare against Cork) and third against third (Galway against Wexford). That rotation continues for the three rounds, with the two best-placed teams after the Group One games contesting the final on Monday, May 5th. The counties' points' difference from the previous five rounds will also carry over to help determine their final positions.

Another reason for Kilkenny playing Tipperary in the first round was that the sides could meet again in the final, and the GAA wanted to avoid as much as possible a situation whereby two sides that played in the final round of games on April 27th also play in the final eight days later. The second round of games will be played on April 20th-21st.

Phase two has also been worked out so every county will have played four home and four away matches by the end of the campaign. Group Two will be worked out on a similar basis, with Laois, Waterford and Dublin playing off against Offaly, Limerick and Derry - and with the bottom-placed team being relegated to Division Two. The Division Two and Three finals will also be played on May 5th.