Shane, Michael, Darach Horan and Mark Foley discuss the U20 hurling championship.
The lads reflect on a huge week of Under-20 hurling action where Offaly beat Wexford and Cork saw off Clare.
CRUNCH TIME APPROACHING IN LEINSTER AND MUNSTER
Both the Leinster and Munster championship ‘round robin’s’ head for the second last rounds this weekend, which means that some of the six qualifying places for the All-Ireland series could be settled.
Both the Leinster and Munster championship ‘round robin’s’ head for the second last rounds this weekend, which means that some of the six qualifying places for the All-Ireland series could be settled.
The line-up is as follows:
SATURDAY
Leinster: Kilkenny v Dublin, UPMC Nowlan Park, 6.00PM
SUNDAY
Leinster: Galway v Antrim, Pearse Stadium, 2.00PM; Wexford v Westmeath, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 3.00PM
Munster: Clare v Cork, Ennis, 2.00PM; Tipperary v Limerick, FBD Semple Stadium, 4.00PM
KILKENNY v DUBLIN
Both are on five points after three rounds. Kilkenny beat Westmeath and Antrim and drew with Galway. Dublin beat Westmeath and Wexford and drew with Antrim.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
• 2022: Kilkenny 3-25 Dublin 0-17 (Leinster ‘round robin’)
• 2021: Kilkenny 1-25 Dublin 0-19 (Leinster final)
• 2020: Kilkenny 3-20 Dublin 2-22 (Leinster semi-final)
• 2019: Kilkenny 2-23 Dublin 1-21 (Leinster ‘round robin’)
• 2018: Kilkenny 1-24 Dublin 3-16 (Leinster ‘round robin)
TOP SCORERS – CHAMPIONSHIP 2023
DUBLIN
1. Donal Burke……2-31 (0-23 frees, 0-2 ‘65s’)
2. Cian O’Sullivan…1-7 (0-1 s/l)
3. Cian Boland…….1-3
4. Paul Crummey…0-5
KILKENNY
1. TJ Reid………………2-28 (0-17 frees, 0-4 ‘65s’)
2. Martin Keoghan…..3-7
3. Adrian Mullen………0-10
4. Eoin Cody…………….0-10
*Dublin wins over Kilkenny in the championship have been rare – only one in the last 80 years.
Their sole success in that period came in 2013 when they won a Leinster semi-final replay by three points.
They later went on to win the Leinster title for the first time since 1961.
*Kilkenny beat Dublin by 2-25 to 1-17 in this year’s Allianz League., having beaten them by an average of 13 points in their last two championship meetings in 2021 and 2022.
*Dublin will play Galway in Croke Park in the last round; Kilkenny will be away to Wexford in Chadwicks Wexford Park.
GALWAY v ANTRIM
Galway have taken five points so far, with wins over Wexford and Westmeath and a draw with Kilkenny. Antrim drew with Dublin and lost to Kilkenny and Wexford.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
• 2008: Galway 6-21 Antrim 1-10 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
• 2007: Galway 2-31 Antrim 1-9 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
• 2005: Galway 3-29 Antrim 0-10 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
• 1983: Galway 3-22 Antrim 2-5 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
• 1982: Galway 6-19 Antrim 3-12 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
TOP SCORERS – CHAMPIONSHIP 2023
GALWAY
1. Evan Niland…………0-30 (0-17 frees, 0-2 ‘65s’)
2. Brian Concannon….2-10
3. Conor Whelan……….3-5
4. Kevin Cooney……….1-4
ANTRIM
1. Conal Cunning………0-30 (0-22 frees, 0-2 ‘65s)
2. Keelan Molloy……….1-4
3. Neil McManus………..1-3 (0-1 free)
4. James McNaughton….1-3
*This will be first championship meeting between the counties since the 2008 qualifiers.
*Galway will play Dublin in Croke Park in the last round; Antrim will play Westmeath in Mullingar.
WEXFORD v WESTMEATH
Wexford have two points after beating Antrim and losing to both Galway and Dublin. Antrim have one point, earned with a draw against Dublin. They lost to Wexford and Kilkenny.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
• 2022: Wexford 0-21 Westmeath 2-15 (Leinster ‘round robin)
• 2018: Wexford 2-21 Westmeath 0-16 (All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final)
• 2015: Wexford 1-26 Westmeath 1-24 (Leinster quarter-final)
• 2012: Wexford 3-22 Westmeath 2-9 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
• 1995: Wexford 6-23 Westmeath 1-7 (Leinster first round)
TOP SCORERS CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
WESTMEATH
1. Ciaran Doyle………0-14 (0-8 frees)
2. Niall O’Brien……..0-10 (0-9 frees)
3. Niall Mitchell……..1-0
4. Davy Glennon……..0-3
WEXFORD
1. Rory O’Connor….0-17 (0-8 frees)
2. Lee Chin…………….0-16 (0-10 frees, 0-1 ‘65’)
3. Cathal Dunbar………1-6
4. Jack O’Connor ……0-7
5. Liam Og McGovern….1-4
*Westmeath are seeking their first championship win over Wexford since 1940 when they won a Leinster quarter-final by 2-15 to 2-4.
The counties drew in last year’s round robin.
*Wexford will play Kilkenny in Chadwicks Wexford Park in the last round; Westmeath will be at home to Antrim in Mullingar.
LEINSTER TABLE
……………………..P……W…..D……L……For…….Ag…….+/-………Pts
Galway…………..3……2……1……0……7-82……2-57…..+40…….5
Kilkenny…………3…….2……1……0…..5-88…….4-52….+39……..5
Dublin……………3……2…….1……0……4-64……2-56…..+14…….5
Wexford…………3…….1……0…….2….3-65……2-72…..-4……….2
Antrim…………….3…….0……1……2….5-65……7-80…..-21…….1
Westmeath……..3…….0……0…….3…..1-38……8-85…..-68…….0
CLARE v CORK
Clare top the Munster table on four points as they head into their final ‘round robin’ game at home to Cork.
A win would guarantee Clare a place in the Munster final.
Cork are a point behind Clare on the table, but have played a game less.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
• 2022: Clare 0-28 Cork 2-20 (Munster round robin)
• 2021: Cork 3-19 Clare 1-23 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
• 2019: Clare 2-23 Cork 2-18 (Munster ‘round robin)
• 2018: Cork 2-23 Clare 1-21 (Munster ‘round robin’)
• 2018: Cork 2-24 Clare 3-19 (Munster final)
TOP SCORERS – CHAMPIONSHIP 2023
CLARE
1. Aidan McCarthy…..1-20 (0-10 frees, 0-3 ‘65s’)
2. Tony Kelly…………..0-18 (0-8 frees, 0-1’65’)
3. Mark Rodgers………2-3 (0-1 s/l)
4. Ian Galvin…………….1-3
CORK
1. Patrick Horgan…..0-16 (0-11 frees, 0-1 ‘65’)
2. Darragh Fitzgibbon…1-5
3. Declan Dalton…………1-5 (0-3 frees)
4. Seamus Harnedy……..0-6
*This will be the 60th championship meeting between the counties, with Cork leading 40-14 in wins while there have been five draws in the previous 59.
*Clare and Cork have met 16 times in the championship in the new Millennium. Cork have won twelve to Clare’s three, with one draw.
*Clare and Cork drew (2-18 each) in this year’ Allianz League tie in Ennis.
TIPPERARY v LIMERICK
Tipperary are on three points after two games; Limerick are on two points from two games.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
• 2002: Limerick 3-21 Tipperary 0-23 (Munster round robin)
• 2021: Limerick 2-29 Tipperary 3-21 (Munster final)
• 2020: Limerick 3-23 Tipperary 2-17 (Munster semi-final)
• 2019: Limerick 2-26 Tipperary 2-14 (Munster final)
• 2019: Tipperary 1-22 Limerick 0-21 (Munster ‘round robin’)
*The counties have met 75 times in the championship (71 in Munster, one in the All-Ireland semi-final (2009) and one in the All-Ireland qualifiers (2004) with the results standing as follows: Tipperary 36 wins; Limerick 28 wins; Draws 10.
*Limerick have beaten Tipperary in their last four championship clashes, leaving the Premier seeking their first success since a Munster ‘round robin’ clash in 2019.
*Limerick will play Cork in the final round; Tipperary will play Waterford.
TOP SCORERS – CHAMPIONSHIP 2023
LIMERICK
1. Aaron Gillane……….0-14 (0-11 frees)
2. Seamus Flanagan…3-2
3. Diarmaid Byrnes….0-8 (0-8 frees)
4. Tom Morrissey……..0-6 (0-1 free)
TIPPERARY
1. Jason Forde…………..2-10 (0-9 frees, 1-0 pen, 1-1 s/l)
2. Jake Morris…………..2-7
3. Gearoid O’Connor…..1-5 (0-3 frees)
4. Mark Kehoe…………1-5
MUNSTER TABLE
…………………..P……..W…..D….L….. For………Ag……. +/-…….Pts
Clare…………….3……..2…….0…..1……6-69….7-58……+8………4
Cork…………….2……..1…….1….0…….4-46….2-43……+9……..3
Tipperary……..2………1…….1…..0…..7-47….7-42……+5……..3
Limerick………..2……..1…….0…..1…..3-38…..1-43…….+1…….2
Waterford………3……..0……0….3……0-53….3-67……-23……..0
