In what is shaping up to be an exciting small ball Super Sunday, the final round of the Munster and Leinster Senior Hurling Championships remain wide open. We will delve into the possible outcomes as we approach this decisive round of matches. In Munster, Limerick will host Waterford and Clare will visit Tipperary, with both matches kicking off at 4pm. Over in Leinster, we’ll see Kilkenny battling Wexford, Galway taking on Dublin and Antrim hosting Carlow, all with start times at 2pm.
MUNSTER
Limerick, currently sitting at 4pts, need either a victory or a draw in their clash with Waterford to finagle a spot in their sixth consecutive Munster final. Given that they have home advantage this Sunday, it’d be quite the unexpected outcome if Limerick were unable to secure their ticket for the final. Yet, if they were to lose to Waterford and Clare subsequently wins or ties with Tipperary, it would see Limerick dropping to fourth place. This would involve Clare and Waterford outstripping Limerick in the league table, moving the All-Ireland champions to joint third place with Cork. Unfortunately, Cork would outperform Limerick based on their head-to-head record, thus pushing Limerick out of the championship.
Odds of securing a top three spot: 4 sliotars out of 5
Cork (4pts)
The championship has seen a thrilling story unravel as Cork makes a Rocky-like comeback from a seemingly futile situation. Despite losing their first two matches, they staged a standout comeback in their following two games – clinching victories over Limerick and Tipp. At this point, the championship’s future is out of Cork’s control as they have completed all their round-robin matches. Only two possible outcomes could secure Cork’s position in the provincial final – a Tipperary win over Clare and either a Limerick draw or loss against Waterford. In either event, scoring differences would determine the finalities. Yet, the Rebels might contentedly take a third-place finish if given the choice at this point.
Odds of reaching top three: 3 sliotars out of 5
Clare (4pts)
For Clare, the future is straightforward – sidestep the loss against Tipperary, and they’ll see themselves landing in another Munster final. Even a loss to Tipperary won’t entirely diminish their prospects, given that if Limerick defeats Waterford, Clare’s superior record against Cork will slot them second. However, if they lose to Tipperary and Waterford bests Limerick, their scoring difference will send Clare plummeting to fourth. Clare’s advantage is that they have control of their own fate, particularly against a Tipperary side that’s not riding a wave of confidence.
Projected possibility of landing in top three: 3 sliotars out of 5.
Waterford (3pts)
For Waterford, all options are still viable – winning the provincial final, snagging third place or getting booted out of the championship. If Waterford triumphs over Limerick under the leadership of Davy Fitzgerald, they secure a berth in the Munster finale. A draw might suffice to peg them third, but that requires Clare to sidestep a defeat to Tipperary – aligning Waterford and Cork with four points each, but Waterford would hold the upper hand via the head-to-head record. Yet, clinching a win against Limerick will arguably be Waterford’s sternest test this week.
Projected possibility of landing in top three: 2 sliotars out of 5.
Tipperary (1pt)
For Tipperary, last week’s devastating defeat against Cork ended their prospects in the 2024 championship. Liam Cahill’s team now plays for honour in their match against Clare at Semple Stadium. They aspire to end the season on a positive note, but either way, it’s been a letdown for the Premier County, hinting at a possible hiatus from the prime stage.
Projected possibility of landing in top three: 0 sliotars out of 5.
LEINSTER
Kilkenny (6pts)
The Nowlan Park face-off between Kilkenny and Wexford this Sunday is a decisive one. Kilkenny, striving for an unprecedented fifth consecutive Leinster title, will clinch a position in the provincial finals if they can at least force a draw or better still, achieve a victory. However, Wexford, who have bested Kilkenny in the 2022 and 2023 Leinster SHC round-robin phases, are a formidable hurdle. If Kilkenny falter against Wexford and the Dublin-Galway match is decisive, Kilkenny risks losing their spot in the Leinster finals, despite their secured top three status due to the unique points-based method through which Leinster SHC operates. Kilkenny’s tally from the earlier games–a draw against Galway and a win against Dublin–guarantee their strong position. Kilkenny stands with a full score 5 out of 5 in terms of being among the top three.
Meanwhile, Wexford, has a good chance to seal a berth in the Leinster Final through a triumph over Kilkenny. The squad led by Keith Rossiter could have already confirmed their place but was impeded by late goals conceded to Dublin in the starter and an unexpected loss to Antrim. Despite their best efforts, if Dublin and Galway end up in a draw along with a Kilkenny victory, they might not make it to the championship ending up fourth. Currently, Wexford is at 3 sliotars out of 5 in the race of final three.
Dublin, in their own right, could reach the Leinster final with a win at Salthill, however, a loss would hit their chances of progression hard. If both Kilkenny and Galway come out victorious, the third place would hinge upon the point difference between Dublin and Wexford. As it stands, Wexford has an advantage of nine points over Dublin. The safest passage for Dublin would be to secure some points from their Salthill tour.
Prospects of reaching the pinnacle three: 3 sliotars from a possible 5
Galway (5pts)
In the event of both matches ending square, employing the team-separation system prevalent in Leinster SHC could deprive Galway a slot in the All-Ireland series. When a trio or more sides finish at par, the total of league points garnered in those teams’ games is summed up to establish final rankings. If the weekend’s duels ended in a stalemate, Wexford, Dublin, and Galway would be involved in the mini-league. Galway – who suffered a defeat to Wexford – would conclude at the bottom of this small group. Nonetheless, defeating Dublin presents the most straightforward path for Galway to keep their season going, regardless of results elsewhere.
Prospects of reaching the pinnacle three: 3 sliotars from a possible 5
Antrim (2pts)
They are up against what is fundamentally a fight for avoiding relegation against Carlow. However, courtesy of their previous triumph over Wexford, a tie would suffice to maintain Antrim’s standing in the Leinster SHC.
Prospects of reaching the pinnacle three: 0 sliotars from a possible 5
Carlow (1pt)
Carlow is required to conquer Antrim in order to escape descending back to the Joe McDonagh Cup. The Barrowsiders managed to salvage a commendable tie against Kilkenny lately, but anything short of a win over Antrim will not suffice this Sunday.
Prospects of reaching the pinnacle three: 0 sliotars from a possible 5.