Sunday 23 April

Munster SHC round 1

Waterford v Limerick, FBD Semple Stadium, 2pm (RTE2)

Limerick have named a formidably strong team for their first match of the Munster SHC round-robin.

William Donoghue returns after missing the League Final win over Kilkenny through suspension, while there are recalls too for Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes and Tom Morrissey starts having only been a sub for that League Final against the Cats.

Such is the strength in depth of this Limerick panel that they can afford to leave the ultra-consistent Mike Casey on the bench. He’s replaced at full-back by Dan Morrissey.

The Limerick attack looks hugely potent now that both Cian Lynch and Peter Casey are fit again having missed much of last year’s championship, and it’s going to be a big ask for the Waterford defence to hold them.

You can be sure though that Davy Fitzgerald will have a well-thought out plan for how to down the champions, and they Deise have also named a strong looking team.

They’ll most likely need goals to win this match, and if they can get good deliveries into the likes of Michael Kiely and Dessie Hutchinson, then a shock is not beyond the bounds of believability.

LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, B Nash; D Byrnes, D Hannon, K Hayes; W O'Donoghue, D O'Donovan; G Hegarty, C Lynch, T Morrissey; A Gillane, S Flanagan, P Casey. Subs: J Power, C Boylan, M Casey, R Connolly, C Coughlan, R English, G Mulcahy, B Murphy, D Ó Dálaigh, C O'Neill, D Reidy.

WATERFORD: Billy Nolan, Conor Gleeson, Conor Prunty, Mark Fitzgerald, Calum Lyons, Tadhg de Burca, Jack Fagan, Darragh Lyons, Jamie Barron, Neil Montgomery, Dessie Hutchinson, Michael Kiely, Colin Dunford, Stephen Bennett, Jack Prendergast. Subs: Shaun O’Brien, Conor Ryan, Tom Barron, Carthach Daly, Peter Hogan, Kevin Mahony, Austin Gleeson, Padraig Fitzgerald, Patrick Fitzgerald, Patrick Curran, Paddy Leavey.

Clare v Tipperary, Cusack Park, Ennis, 4pm (GAAGO)

Shane O’Donnell makes his first start of the season for Clare having seen no involvement in the Allianz Hurling League.

The Clare attack averaged 30 points per match during the League without him, and O’Donnell’s addition should make them even more potent.

His inclusion means that Tony Kelly starts in midfield, from where he is capable of causing serious damage in a roving role.

This is a fascinating clash because Tipperary were a revived force under Liam Cahill in the League.

Young players like Bryan O’Mara, Gearoid O’Connor, and Alan Tynan really stepped up to the mark, and more established stars like Noel McGrath, Ronan Maher, Dan McCormack, and Patrick Maher look as hungry as ever.

There won’t be much between these teams, but if Clare can match Tipperary’s physical intensity they may have a greater cutting edge in attack.

CLARE: E Foudy; A Hogan, C Cleary, P Flanagan; D Ryan, J Conlon, D McInerney; T Kelly, C Malone; P Duggan, R Taylor, A McCarthy; I Galvin, S O'Donnell, M Rodgers. Subs: E Quilligan, C Nolan, A Fitzgerald, S Meehan, A Shanagher, P Donnellan, R Mounsey, R Hayes, C Galvin, J Kirwan, B O'Connell.

TIPPERARY (outfield panel players are listed in alphabetical order, not the positions they will play in)

Barry Hogan, Cathal Barrett, Conor Bowe, Michael Breen, John Campion, Pauric Campion, Jason Forde, Enda Heffernan, Seamus Kennedy, Mark Kehoe, Patrick Maher, Ronan Maher, Conor McCarthy, Dan McCormack, Brian McGrath, Rhys Shelly, John McGrath, Noel Mcgrath, Jake Morris, Gearoid O’Connor, Cian O’Dwyer, Bryan O’Mara, Johnny Ryan, Sean Ryan, Conor Stakelum, Alan Tynan.

Saturday, April 22

Leinster SHC round 1

Antrim v Dublin, Corrigan Park, 2pm

Dublin have named four championship debutants in their team for their opening Leinster SHC clash against Antrim.

Former Cork hurler, Chris O’Leary, is one of them, along with Paddy Doyle, Mark Grogan, and Conor Donohoe.

Dublin have been building nicely under new manager Micheál Donoghue, but this trip to Belfast is still one fraught with danger.

This is Antrim’s first opportunity to play in the round robin phase of the Leinster Championship so they’ll be highly motivated and roared on by a vocal home crowd in Corrigan Park.

There were only three points between the teams when they met in the League, and another tight affair is anticipated here.

ANTRIM: Ryan Elliott, Paddy Burke, Ryan McGarry, Niall O’Connor, Gerard Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Conal Bohill, Michael Bradley, James McNaughton, Seaan Elliott, Keelan Molloy, Nigel Elliott, Conal Cunning, Neil McManus, Conor Johnston. Subs: Tiernan Smyth, Stephen Rooney, Phelim Duffin, Caolan McKernan, Scott Walsh, Joe Maskey, Eoin O’Neill, Paul Boyle, Seamie McAuley, Rian McMullan, Domhnall Nugent.

DUBLIN: S Brennan; M Grogan, E O'Donnell, P Smyth; P Doyle, C Burke, D Gray; C Donohoe, C O'Leary; D Sutcliffe, D Burke, C Boland; A Considine, C O'Sullivan, P Crummy. Subs: E Gibbons, J Bellew, E Moran,J Madden, R Smyth, D Power, C Costello, R Hayes, F Whitely, J Flanagan, S Currie.

Galway v Wexford, Pearse Stadium, 4.30pm (GAAGO)

When these two teams met in the first round of the League, Galway emerged victors by eight points.

Wexford’s campaign subsequently went from bad to worse with their only win coming against Westmeath and the nadir being a 22-point defeat to Clare.

They’ve had five weeks to rally the troops since the League ended, and have named a strong looking team that includes Lee Chin, Rory O’Connor, and Conor McDonald in a potent attack.

The big question is whether they’ve tightened up a defence that conceded an average of 26 points per match in the League.

As for Galway, there’s a nicely balanced look to the team they’ve selected. A half-back line of Padraic Mannion, Daitihi Burke, and Joseph Cooney should give them a good platform to attack, while an inside-forward line of Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, and Evan Niland should accumulate a lot of scores.

Home advantage and the better form-line points suggest a Galway victory is the most likely outcome here.

GALWAY: Eanna Murphy; Jack Grealish, Gearóid McInerney, TJ Brennan, Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke, Joseph Cooney, Tom Monaghan, Ronan Glennon, Cianan Fahy, Conor Cooney, Kevin Cooney, Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Evan Niland. Subs: Darach Fahy, Fintan Burke, Darren Morrissey, Eoin Lawless, Cathal Mannion, Sean Linnane, Jason Flynn, Liam Collins, John Cooney, Declan McLoughlin, Martin McManus

WEXFORD: J Lawlor; S Reck, L Ryan, C Devitt; M O'Hanlon, D Reck, S Donohoe; D O'Keeffe, C Hearne; O Foley, L Chin, L Óg McGovern; R O'Connor, C McDonald, C Dunbar. Subs: C Byrne, R Banville, D Clarke, M Dwyer, C Flood, C Foley, K Foley, R Lawlor, C McGuckian, Jack O'Connor, Joe O'Connor.

Kilkenny v Westmeath, UPMC Nowlan Park, 6pm

TJ Reid makes his first competitive start for Kilkenny this year in Saturday’s Leinster SHC clash with Westmeath.

His inclusion in the team means he will now play for the cats for a 17th championship season.

His return to action is a timely one too because Billy Drennan, who assumed free-taking duties in Reid’s absence during the League, has been ruled out with a leg injury.

Paddy Deegan is also ruled by injury while there’s a championship debut in attack for Timmy Clifford.

This looks like a really difficult mission for Westmeath, particularly as they’re without injured trio Killian Doyle, Jack Galvin, and Niall Mitchell.

KILKENNY: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; D Blanchfield, R Reid, P Walsh; D Corcoran, P Mullen; T Clifford, A Mullen, J Donnelly; B Ryan, TJ Reid, E Cody. Subs: D Brennan, C Delaney, C Buckley, C Heary, C Fogarty, A Murphy, C Kenny, M Keoghan, N Brennan, T Phelan, S Walsh.

WESTMEATH: Noel Conaty, Darragh Egerton, Conor Shaw, Johnny Bermingham, Robbie Greville, Tommy Doyle, Aaron Craig, Davy Glennon, Shane McGovern, Shane Clavin, Joseph Boyle, Eoin Keyes, Kevin Regan, Ciaran Doyle, Darragh Clinton. Subs: Conor Bracken, Charlie McCormack, Adam Ennis, Gary Greville, Cormac Boyle, Derek McNicholas, Niall Mitchell, Jack Gillen, Niall O’Brien, Eoin Daly, Micheal Daly.