The Leinster SHC will witness a match between Wexford and Galway at Chadwicks Wexford Park this Saturday at 4.0, which will be broadcast live on GAAGO. Wexford has been undergoing a difficult period after forfeiting substantial leads to both Dublin and Antrim, thus gaining a solitary point in place of four. Galway, despite having a below par performance against Carlow, did not exhibit much progression even when facing a notably weakened Kilkenny team. Given these circumstances and a fairly inconspicuous league season, this calls for a need to establish a firm standpoint from Henry Shefflin’s squad.
The performance of Conor Whelan during the Kilkenny match was disappointing, although he did manage to score the equaliser. The team utilised Jonathan Glynn arbitrarily, prioritising him exclusively upon his return. However, Cathal Mannion and Gavin Lee showed commendable efforts while Evan Niland’s free-taking capabilities saved the day for the team. He is set to start in the upcoming match.
In contrast, Wexford have been critically reliant on Lee Chin for their scoring run, who has scored 3-23, 1-7 from play, even in matches which his team has not won. Interestingly, despite their previous victories over Kilkenny, Wexford hasn’t been able to secure a win over Galway in a championship match since 1996. The urgency for points will be their drive in the upcoming match to secure their exit points. Galway, which demonstrated a lack of direction in the previous match, is expected to face a tough challenge from a charged up Wexford unless they step up their game.
Adding to the excitement is the Munster SHC match between Waterford and Tipperary at Walsh Park, scheduled at 6.0, going live on GAAGO. Having failed to secure a win in the same fixture in Thurles last year, Liam Cahill’s Tipperary team have been grappling with issues. This was the only victory that brightened an otherwise disappointing season for Waterford, which although under-resourced and practically relegated, still managed to stand their ground in the league and defeat Cork with their returned players a fortnight ago.
Tipp’s dismal beginning against Limerick becomes all the more stark considering their previous thrashing at the hands of Clare in the league semi-finals. What was once a close-fought match they drew last year and could easily have triumphed in, unfortunately translated into a 15-point loss, marking the county’s largest defeat during the round-robin format’s five-year stint. It seems probable that Cahill will make adjustments to an unaltered team he had previously fielded over the weekend, despite his stern remarks about “ramifications” for the team’s failure against Limerick.
In last year’s fixture, Waterford executed a tactical move of utilising Billy Nolan, the backup goalkeeper, as a defender which had a profound impact on the game’s outcome. This was, of course, done due to Tadhg de Búrca’s absence who however, made an imposing return to the championship hurling against Cork, bringing his recognisable skill back into play. Waterford’s Jamie Barron also notably shone. Considering the uneven performances, David Fitzgerald’s team have now been deemed favourites, something that doesn’t suit them well.
Waterford’s aim in this match is to achieve an unparalleled fourth consecutive championship victory. Preventing this would necessitate Tipp’s best performance in a year. My prediction: Waterford will prevail.