REFRESHED after a four-week break since the annexation of a record sixth Munster Senior Hurling title on the trot, holders Limerick re-enter the Championship arena with a mouth-watering All-Ireland semi-final clash with Cork at Croke Park on Sunday (4pm).
In the meeting of the counties at the round-robin stage of the provincial competition, it was Cork that prevailed, but it’s five-in-a-row seeking Limerick that carry the mantle of warm favourites into this eagerly awaited tussle at HQ.
The winners will advance to the July 21 Final at the famed Jones Road venue against either Kilkenny or Clare, who meet the previous evening, also in Dublin (3pm).
Aside from the injured Peter Casey, Limerick will choose from a full panel, one that includes returnees such as Richie English, Darragh O’Donovan, and Séamus Flanagan (who turned 27 on Wednesday), scorer of a memorable hat-trick of goals against Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in May.
Flanagan, however, might well have to settle for an initial role on the bench this weekend given the subsequent outstanding display of his replacement Shane O’Brien at Semple Stadium, Thurles.
That reserves list will also boast of other quality through the likes of Conor Boylan, Colin Coughlan, Graeme Mulcahy, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, and Adam English.
There is unlikely to be any shock in terms of team selection when manager John Kiely unveils his preferred starting XV on Friday morning.
Since the comfortable provincial Final defeat of Clare, Limerick have trained in-house and also took part in a useful weekend training camp in Kerry.
Since their third place finish in Munster, the Rebels have come through moderate tests against both Offaly and Dublin.
Pat Ryan’s Cork have plenty of top performers in Eoin Downey, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Declan Dalton, Ethan Twomey, Séamus Harnedy, Alan Connolly, and Patrick Horgan, currently the Championship’s joint (with TJ Reid of Kilkenny) all-time top scorer.
The fixture will be refereed by Thomas Walsh of Waterford. He took charge of this year’s Leinster Final between Kilkenny and Dublin at Croke Park, and also officiated the 2022 All-Ireland semi-final between Limerick and Galway. He also handled two of Limerick’s league outings, against Antrim and Galway.
Liam Gordon (Galway) will referee the other semi-final.
Prediction: Limerick by four points.
