* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
John Mullane previews this weekend’s GAA action, including Sunday’s matches between Waterford v Tipperary and Cork v Limerick.
14:00 Waterford v Tipperary: Waterford (-4) & Stephen Bennett to Score First
Liam Cahill takes on his home county and he’s had the edge over Tipp in the last three games between these two sides.
Waterford won comprehensively against them in the League a few weeks ago and have kicked on since then. There’s a real feel-good factor around them at the moment.
The question is can they keep up the level they’ve set in their performances so far the year. If they can, it should be good enough to get past Tipperary.
They still have some very good hurlers – you think of the McGraths, Jason Forde, Conor Bowe, Mark Kehoe, Jake Morris – so from a Tipp point of view they’re going to need goals to win this game.
Something just tells me that Waterford, having won the National League, with Austin Gleeson back, Ballygunner winning the club All-Ireland, are on the crest of a wave and winning the two home games will be crucial if they’re going to push on this season.
I’ll go for Waterford to win, and it’s a question of will they cover the four-point spread. If they play as well as they can I think they can do it by more.
There should be goals in this game. Waterford scored 22 in their League run. Tipperary can do it too, so you’re really spoilt for choice in this game.
Stephen Bennett‘s in Hurler of the Year form. From a young age and playing all the way up through minor and under-21 hurling, he’s always thought goals. He takes the penalties too, so you can’t look beyond him as a goalscorer.
16:00 Cork v Limerick: Cork to Win & Patrick Horgan to Score First
This is an intriguing match of the highest order. Cork have been very very impressive in the league, coming off a poor display in the league final, Cork supporters will probably be saying “well here we go again”.
Limerick on the other hand, all the talk about Limerick has been that they’re going to turn up on Sunday and turn it on, but I don’t know if it’s going to be as easy that. They done it last year, the all-Ireland final last year I predicted Limerick were going to win it because they were in a good place, but there’s just something telling me that, Limerick aren’t in the same place as they were last year.
I just feel without Peter Casey, Seamus Flanaghan out injured as well, and they’ve a couple of other injury worries, I just don’t feel that they have the squad depth that they once had. Cork on the other hand, there’s some very very good hurlers in this Cork team, although they lost the league final, you learn an awful lot more from a defeat.
Something’s just telling me its going to be Cork’s day on Sunday. It’s probably going to be a sellout, and I just think Cork have the personell to go and win this match. If Cork were to win this match it would blow the whole Munster Championship wide open, and it would blow the whole all-Ireland Championship wide open. So I’m going to go for Cork to win this match.
For goalscorers, Shane Kingston came on against Waterford and was very impressive, but for me, Patrick Horgan will be thinking to himself that he has to prove a point, after being taken off in the league semi-final. For me, I’m going to go for Horgan to be the first goalscorer, he’s raised green flags before against Limerick, he’ll have the bit between his teeth, and he’ll roll his sleeves up on Sunday and have an eye for goal.
Sunday Hurling Tips
14:00 Waterford v Tipperary: Waterford (-4) & Stephen Bennett to Score First
16:00 Cork v Limerick: Cork to Win & Patrick Horgan to Score First
* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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