Soaring Stars have nominated ten players in total from the intermediate champions after their great performances this year. Runners-up Kilkenny is also a major part of the nominations list. A further ten of their players made the shortlist.

Semi-finalists Galway received five nominations while Meath has four players nominated. Laois is the remaining Intermediate team with one player on the nomination list.

All-Ireland Premier Junior champions Wexford got three nominations while the runners-up Armagh also received three nominations.

The Camogie Association will announce the 2021 Soaring Stars team at a banquet at the Osprey Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare on Friday, November 26th.

They will also confirm the Nominees for the Camogie Association/GPA Senior, Intermediate, and Junior Players’ Player of the Year Awards on Wednesday 27th October.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Uachtarán Hilda Breslin said:

“It is a wonderful achievement for our players to be recognized for their outstanding performances throughout the 2021 inter-county season.

“Their skill, dedication, and consistency have shone throughout the summer, today they are deservingly being recognized with these nominations. I am delighted that once again we will be able to celebrate in person. I congratulate all our nominees on today’s achievements and I look forward with great excitement to the award’s ceremony on November 26th.”

The Nominees for 2021 are:

Goalkeepers:

Catrina Graham (Antrim), Sinead Farrell (Kilkenny), Ciarrai Devlin (Armagh)

Full-Back Line:

Chloe Drain (Antrim), Niamh Leahy (Kilkenny), Maria Lynn (Antrim), Aislinn Harvey (Armagh), Róisín Phelan (Kilkenny), Niamh Donnelly (Antrim), Laura Ward (Galway)

Half-Back Line:

Sarah Crowley (Kilkenny), Aideen Brennan (Wexford), Caoimhe Conlon (Antrim), Claire Coffey (Meath), Leanne Fennelly (Kilkenny), Clodagh Tynan (Laois), Caoimhe Mahon (Galway)

Midfield:

Chloe Cashe (Wexford), Nicole O’ Neill (Antrim), Lucia McNaughton (Antrim), Ciara Phelan (Kilkenny), Aoife Minogue (Meath)

Half-Forward Line:

Maeve Kelly (Antrim), Ava Lynskey (Galway), Eva Hynes (Kilkenny), Jane Dolan (Meath), Ciara Banville (Wexford), Elisha Broderick (Galway), Sarah Walsh (Kilkenny)

Full-Forward Line:

Róisín McCormack (Antrim), Caitrin Dobbin (Antrim), Ciara O’Keeffe (Kilkenny), Amy Gaffney (Meath), Ciara Donnelly (Armagh), Cora Kenny (Galway), Sophie O’ Dwyer (Kilkenny).

The Association will announce the nominations for the 2021 All-Stars Team and the winner of the 2021 Manager of the Year tomorrow, Tuesday, 19th October.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date club and intercounty GAA news, click here.

The post Antrim and Kilkenny lead Camogie Soaring Stars Nominations appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Cork 0-15

Kilkenny 1-11

Paudie Murray explained the decision to leave out skipper Linda Collins as a requirement for impetus from his bench and that call proved a masterstroke, as the Courcey Rovers forward was a danger for all 14 minutes of her involvement, concluding with a dramatic winner as the clock just wound into the fourth and final minute of injury time.

It was a stunning conclusion to a riveting affair that Cork dominated, for the most part, the wonderful Chloe Sigerson shooting five points.

On the red card for Cronin, Murray said to not have seen the incident but felt that Katrina Mackey should have had a penalty when Meighan Farrell came from nowhere to deny the full-forward a goal.

Yes, the letter of law and all that, yes we are biased but we are also privileged to be aware of Orla Cronin’s DNA from both sides and believe me, she does not deserve to miss the @OfficialCamogie senior final with @CorkCamogie in 2 weeks time. pic.twitter.com/6Ty8wx1Cyf

— Paudie Palmer (@PaudieP) August 29, 2021

“I thought our first half was good, but our third quarter killed us. We spoke about a lot of things during the week and I think some of them went out the window. That 15 minutes really annoyed us. But I suppose Kilkenny were always going to have their period of dominance so I thought we showed great composure and great character. I think the team is starting to develop its own character,” said Murray.

“It takes a small bit of time for a new team to develop a new personality in the dressing-room and new characters. I think they are starting to do that.

“This is a very young team. Ciara O’Sullivan is 19, Fiona Keating 20, we have a lot in around the 21/22 years. This is a big day out for them. I thought we managed it very well.”

Brian Dowling, who had won an All-Ireland in his first season as manager last year, having previously served as deputy to Ann Downey, was understandably downbeat.

“The first half was a bit disappointing. I asked the girls for more energy and in fairness, they brought that to Cork and in fairness to these girls over the last number of years.

“They’ve died with their boots on for Kilkenny camogie.”

“I can’t ask for any more of them since I’ve been involved with them and unfortunately there are just days like this when you come up a little bit short and we’re just going to have to lick our wounds now.

“We got a great goal and we even pushed on to go a bit up but we probably needed to go (more) up. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen today.

“I don’t think we hurled as well as we could, especially in that second quarter of the first half, we probably didn’t score too much in that quarter but I can’t fault these girls for the effort and they’ve been great champions. Any time you play Cork, there’s never been anything between them and, we got the lucky breaks last year and they got them today.”

He hailed the character of his players.

“It wasn’t easy for these girls to lose three All-Irelands; it would have been easy to pack it in and retire but players like Collette Dormer, Denise Gaule, and Katie Power – what she’s gone through to get on the pitch is unbelievable. They’ll do anything to play, injections, whatever.

“Kellyann Doyle was only passed fit last night.

“How she was able to play that match I’ll never know. She couldn’t raise her arm on Friday evening.”

“I can’t speak highly enough of these girls – they’d die for the Kilkenny jersey. There’s a great bond in that group, but it’s so disappointing when you lose. You learn a lot more when you lose so you have to move on from here.”

It’s an absolute privilege to be involved with this @KilkennyCamogie team as sport scientist for the past two years. The epitome of hard-work, resilience and commitment. A group that I have learned so much from over the past 2 years, who are wonderful ambassadors for the sport. pic.twitter.com/ScHxNELi82

— Philip Connors (@philipconnors02) August 30, 2021

SCORERS FOR CORK: O Cronin 0-6(5fs); C Sigerson 0-5 (1f); K Mackey, F Keating, S McCarthy, L Collins 0-1 each

SCORERS FOR KILKENNY: D Gaule 0-7(fs); M O’Connell 1-0; K Power 0-2; K Doyle, K Nolan 0-1 each

CORK: A Lee, P Mackey, L Coppinger, M Cahalane, L Hayes, L Treacy, S McCarthy, H Looney, A Thompson, C Sigerson, F Keating, C O’Sullivan, A O’Connor, O Cronin, K Mackey. Sub: L Collins for O’Sullivan (50)

KILKENNY: A Norris, M Teehan, C Dormer, D Tobin, K Doyle, M Farrell, C Phelan, D Gaule, G Walsh, M Walsh, K Nolan, M O’Connell, S Fitzgerald, K Power, A Doyle. Subs: L Murphy for Fitzgerald (38), N Deely for Teehan (48), M Kenneally for A Doyle (55)

The post Cork inch out Kilkenny in camogie semi-final appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Kilkenny will go head-to-head against Galway in Tullamore at Bord na Mona, O’Connor Park on Tuesday, July 20th at 7:30 pm in the second Leinster U20 Hurling Championship semi-final as the deferred game live through the TG4 app.

Coming into this game Kilkenny has looked indifferent in their quarter-final win over Laois on the 13th of July, only winning by 3 points with a score of 1-18 to 1-15.

In the first half of that tie, Laois were the team in control, pushing Kilkenny back with a solid running game which saw them lead by a point at the break, with the score in the balance with a 0-11 to 1-07.

However, by the 50th minute, the Cats took control, scoring 0-05 without reply in the space of five minutes to put a marginal distance between the two teams.

Galway will hope they can redeem themselves after losing to Dublin in the rescheduled 2020 Leinster final after losing by 2 points with a score of 1-20 to 1-18 back in June.

Playing well until Dublin took over and just pipped them to the victory, The Tribesmen will be more than motivated to avenge their last defeat and book their place in the Leinster final against either Dublin or Offaly.

Conclusion

As always, the black and orange outfit (Kilkenny) look sharp and stunning in their attack, with full-forward Eoin Guilfoyle a standout. Scoring 0-08 points against Laois, he was the difference that ultimately saw them prevail.

Another player to look out for centre-half forward Conor Kelly, boasting great movement and anticipation, the forward scored the crucial goal to help them reach the semi-final.

Their opponents, Galway will be without scorer Mark Kennedy after his brilliant performance against Dublin, notching a respectable 0-06 from play.

They will have full-forward Donal O’Shea, who scored 0-08 against The Dubs. He could be the difference-maker in this game if it’s a tight affair coming into injury time.

Prediction: Galway by 3 points

Starting Teams 

Kilkenny

Galway

Betting

Kilkenny: 11/4

Galway: 1/3

Draw: 10/1

The post Hurling – Kilkenny v Galway – Starting News, Live Scores, Betting; TV Coverage appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Kyle Hayes is in at left half-back after his stunning goal at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the 2021 Munster Senior Hurling Championship final.

The Kildimo-Pallaskenry player started his run from the halfway line and finished off an electrifying move by firing the ball past Barry Hogan into the Tipperary net.

Cian Lynch joins him in the side, taking his place as the right-sided midfielder.

His performance on Sunday against Tipperary was fantastic and he composed the Limerick orchestra perfectly, leading the side’s second-half revival to secure a dominant win over their Munster rivals.

Dan McCormack did well against Lynch at times but could not contain the Limerick talisman who earned the Man of the Match in the Munster final.

Peter Casey and Seamus Flanagan are the other two Limerick GAA players that make the XV.

The pair were firing on all cylinders and were lethal when they got a hold of the sliotar.

Peter Casey tallied up five points for his side while Seamus Flanagan got three and nabbed a goal too, pouncing on a loose ball after Hogan denied Limerick’s Aaron Gillane.

Leinster Champions Kilkenny and Brian Lohan’s Clare have two players on the side each after their wins at the weekend.

Wexford GAA also have two players in the side following their All-Ireland exit at the hands of Clare.

Dublin, Waterford, Laois, Tipperary and Westmeath all have one player on the side.

GAA.ie Hurling Team Of The Week

Alan Nolan (Dublin); Rory Hayes (Clare), Huw Lawlor (Kilkenny), Shane Reck (Wexford); Calum Lyons (Waterford), James Maher (Kilkenny), Kyle Hayes (Limerick); Cian Lynch (Limerick), Paddy Purcell (Laois); Ryan Taylor (Clare), Jason Forde (Tipperary), Robbie Greville (Westmeath); Peter Casey (Limerick), Seamus Flanagan (Limerick), Cathal Dunbar (Wexford).

The post GAA: Hurling Team Of The Week Announced appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Cork (2-12) v Kilkenny (2-10), U16A

Cork survived a late scare to grab a record 14^th Tesco All-Ireland U16A Camogie title, defeating Kilkenny in a pulsating affair by 2-12 to 2-10 at St Brendan’s Park in Birr.

The Rebels have now secured their second in three seasons, as reward for redoubled efforts at underage level in the Rebel County.

Kilkenny began best with points from Lauren Ronan and Rachel Dowling but Gráinne Finn and Caoimhe Sheehan brought Cork level. The Leesiders moved two ahead when Rose Kelly struck a goal in the 27^th minute.

There is no doubt that the next puck-out was the most significant of the game as Cork hit with an identical score a minute later from Fiona Twohig and that gave her side a lead they would never relinquish.

It was 1-8 to 1-6 at the interval and points from Finn and Sinéád Hurley quickly doubled the margin. Kilkenny kept plugging away but Emily O’Donoghue’s goal at the three-quarter mark gave the Reds some vital breathing space.

An O’Donoghue point put five between the sides and though Ronan goaled for the Cats right on the hour, victory would be Cork’s.

ALL IRELAND SUNDAY
Our fantastic U16A team are off to St Brendans park to take on Kilkenny in the #2021AllIrelandFinal Best of luck Millie Fiona & all the players & Donie & mgmt team
#Corcaighabú #AllIrelandSunday #Blackbee #Supporthersport pic.twitter.com/DkEmSyImiF

— OfficialCorkCamogie (@CorkCamogie) July 18, 2021

Meath (9-13) v Offaly (4-12), U16B

The All-Ireland B final was a remarkable, high-scoring affair, Meath coming out on top against Offaly at Kingspan Breffni by 9-13 to 4-12.

The margin of defeat is very tough on the Faithful girls, who were excellent but were unable to handle the goal surge of their opposition, who were more than deserving winners in the end. A tally of 4-12 will win you most games but Meath prevailed, thanks to their nine brilliant goals.

Meath only scored two points in the first half but their six goals had them leading comfortably against what must have been a bewildered Offaly unit, who had scored 1-7 but just could not keep the Royal attackers at bay.

A hat-trick of goals from skipper, Laura Kelly inside ten minutes set the tone, the second a classy, doubled effort, the third, after a tremendous team move and Offaly were always playing catch-up thereafter.

Róisín Kinsella, Gráinne Kennedy and Caoimhe O’Donovan and Amy Sullivan were among the point scorers for Offaly, and Sullivan hit the back of the net but it was non-stop goal action at the other end and there was no way Offaly could hold back the tide. Kelly finished with four majors and Ella O’Brien, Aoife Carey, Anna Foley, and Sarah Bryan raised further green flags as Kerrie Cole supplied so much of the ammunition.

Sullivan was accurate for Offaly, who had Nicola Cleary in outstanding form at centre-back. Molly Hogan drilled two goals and Orla Kilmartin another as the tricolours fought all the way to the final whistle.

U16B ALL IRELAND CAMOGIE CHAMPIONS 2021
Massive Well done to our own Laura and Lara & the entire @OffMeathCamog U16 Camogie panel on an epic win against Offaly today in Breffni Pk. CAVAN pic.twitter.com/quNyCPmqSY

— Ratoath GAA (@RatoathGAA) July 18, 2021

Westmeath (1-01) v Roscommon (0-03), U16C

A goal from Niamh Keogh in the 58^th minute grabbed a dramatic 1-1 to 0-3 victory for Westmeath over neighbours Roscommon in a hard-fought, tense though low-scoring C decider at St Brendan’s Park.

It was only 0-1 apiece at the break, with both sets of defences well on top. In that context, Ava Mulry’s two points seemed to have secured the silverware for the westerners but Keogh’s strike was definitive.

Congratulations to our U16 girls who won their All Ireland Semifinal today v Down in Inniskeen. Thank you to their management team of Paddy Dowdall, Laura Heffernan, Olive Weir and Denise Muldoon. pic.twitter.com/z9oucIN8bk

— Westmeath Camogie (@WestmeathCamogi) July 11, 2021

Wicklow (3-13) v Mayo (0-03), U16D

The D crown went the way of Wicklow, who were dominant throughout before recording a 3-13 to 0-3 triumph over Mayo at Kingspan Breffni.

The Connacht girls never stopped fighting and were still in touch at half-time, trailing by 0-9 to 0-2, Geri Maye Henry and Laura Flanagan hitting points but they were opened up after the restart, Aoife Campbell supplying a brace of goals and Áine Byrne another, while dual talent Laci Jane Shannon was named player of the match as the honours headed for the Garden County.

RESULT
All Ireland U16 Camogie Final
Wicklow 3-13
Mayo 0 – 03 pic.twitter.com/Z6jyNz7ZNx

— Official Wicklow GAA (@wicklowgaa) July 18, 2021

The post All the results of the U16 All-Ireland Camogie finals appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Following the hurling action at the weekend, the draw was made, which saw Kilkenny and Limerick win the Leinster and Munster provincial titles respectively.

All sides involved in the draw were knocked out of their provincial championships at the quarter-final and semi-final stages.

The draw took place on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland.

Two of the sides were in action at the weekend in the first round of the qualifiers, with Cork and Galway starting their journey through the backdoor in round two after losses to eventual Munster champions Limerick and Dublin – the pair were awarded a bye for round one.

Brian Lohan’s Clare progressed to the second round after beating Wexford in a match-up against rival Bainisteoir Davy Fitzgerald at Semple Stadium.

Clare’s squad showed their worth and the Banner had another game in recent history that did not showcase an overreliance on the Championship’s top scorer Tony Kelly.

Cathal Malone, David Reidy, Ryan Taylor and Aidan McCarthy all chipped in with scores throughout the game and Clare’s bench also provided 1-02 for the side.

They will face a Cork side who have been inconsistent in 2021, and with five wins from their last six games, Brian Lohan’s men will be confident of progression.

Waterford earned a date with Galway and a repeat of the 2017 All-Ireland final after a five-point win over preliminary round winners Laois.

Waterford’s fortunes have been up-and-down this season with Liam Cahill and his players struggling to get the side back into the vein of form that saw them reach the All-Ireland final last year.

Galway will play their first game after a shock loss to Mattie Kenny’s Dublin hurlers and will want to bounce back from their defeat.

The Déise will have to be on their A-game to earn a date in the All-Ireland quarter-finals with either Dublin or Tipperary.

All-Ireland Hurling Qualifiers Round Two

Clare v Cork 4:30pm Gaelic Grounds – Sky Sports

Waterford v Galway 2pm – Semple Stadium – Sky Sports

The post All-Ireland Hurling Qualifiers Round 2 Draw – Venues, Start Times, and TV Coverage appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE SCORES ON DUBLIN V KILKENNY

PREVIEW

Dublin and Kilkenny will go head to head in the Leinster Hurling final at Croke Park this coming Saturday at 7:30 pm in the first provincial hurling final of the summer.

The Dubs are coming into this game looking to win their first Leinster title since 2013 when they defeated Galway.

They will be full of confidence and hope after their surprise victory over the Tribesmen two weeks ago, putting in their best performance in some time to make it to their first Leinster final since 2014.

The two sides met in Division 1 of the Allianz League, with Kilkenny topping the group, while Dublin languished in 5th, losing 3 of their 5 games.

When they did meet, it was a close affair, with Kilkenny just edging it by a scoreline of 0-18 to 1-20

Kilkenny looks like a team rejuvenated after losing to Waterford in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final. The reigning Leinster champions will look to capture their 73rd provincial title and 17th under Brian Cody.

The Cats defeated a strong a poised Wexford side in the semi-final by a score of 2-37 to 2-29.

Davy Fitzgerald’s side looked like they would pull off a famous victory at times, but Kilkenny’s class and experience got them over the line when it mattered most.

This will be a repeat of last years Leinster semi-final, with Kilkenny and Dublin pulling off an all-time classic which saw Brian Cody’s men just come out with a 1 point victory, beating the Dubs 3-20 to 2-22.

Conclusion

On paper and from past games from years gone by, all arrows are pointing in Kilkenny to topple the Dubs.

Unlike their football team, Dublin hurling has been stagnated and void of direction for many years now. Usually seen as the dark horses of the hurling championship, they never seem to truly deliver on the big occasion.

Their opponents are the complete opposite, being the most successful hurling team in history with 36 senior All-Ireland titles and 72 Leinster titles is an amazing feat, especially with the high calibre of teams surrounding them.

Beating the favourites in Galway will give Dublin a case to challenge for more than one honour this season.

A very difficult game to dissect, but if I had to pick a team, Kilkenny would be the obvious choice based on their past experiences and having an edge over the team from the capital.

Prediction: Kilkenny by 5 points

Betting

Dublin: 5/2

Kilkenny: 4/11

Draw: 10/1

The post Leinster Hurling Final 2021 Result – Easy win for Kilkenny against Dublin appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Click for Live score commentary from Kilkenny v Waterford

Waterford overcame Clare in last weekend’s quarter-final by a healthy nine points. After an opening half of breathtaking hurling, Waterford were just three points ahead thanks to Jack Fagan’s goal just before the interval. That was their third major after Dessie Hutchinson had already netted two in a scintillating individual performance. Equally as important, Waterford were successful in quenching the flaming hot Tony Kelly who hit two from play despite injuring his ankle before the game.

After the break, Waterford’s squad depth proved instrumental as Cahill put faith in his subs to finish the job. Clare managed to go point-for-point with Waterford during the third quarter but never came within the three-point deficit. Then, when Waterford went seven ahead on 55 minutes, Clare responded with a goal. The Déise ship held firm however. The introduction of the Waterford reserves yielded no fewer than five scores. By full-time, Cahill had steered his team to a well-deserved victory.

Previously, Kilkenny qualified for the semi-final by beating Galway in the Leister Final. Before the game, Galway were widely tipped to advance after their commanding win over Wexford. In fact, for much of the Leinster final it looked as if the tipsters were going to be proved correct. By the 55th minute, the Galwegians were five up and going from strength to strength. Then lightning struck twice in 40 seconds as the Cats goaled twice for a six-point swing. Firstly, Richie Hogan lit up the Dark Dublin sky with one of the most skillful goals scored on a Hurling pitch. Then, from the very next play, the same man set up TJ Reid who buried it into the Galway net. From there, Kilkenny were on top and Galway never recovered.

That was Brian Cody’s 16th Leinster title but he hasn’t won an All-Ireland since 2015. Last year, they finished runners-up to Tipperary but were demolished in the final. After a sluggish start against Dubin this year, Cody’s experience has proved influential in this Kilkenny team’s improvement. There is no doubt he has his eyes firmly set on the final. But, Waterford will make him earn a place in the showdown.

Waterford’s win over Clare was a tremendous way to bounce back from defeat in the Munster final a week earlier. They have gone from strength to strength themselves this year and will be ready to take on the Kilkenny challenge on Saturday evening. The excitement of an All-Ireland semi-final is sure to quench the fatigue of three games in three weeks.

Regardless of how both sides enter this game, it is sure to be a fascinating watch. There has already been a lot of surprises this year and no one will rule out another.

The game is live on RTÉ as well as Sky Sports Mix.

Paddy Power are fancying Kilkenny to go through. The Leinster men are 4/6. In contrast, Waterford as 13/8 and a draw is 9/1.

Prediction: Kilkenny.

Teams

Kilkenny : Eoin Murphy; Conor Delaney, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; Padraig Walsh, Cillian Buckley, Paddy Deegan; Conor Browne, Conor Fogarty; John Donnelly, TJ Reid, Martin Keoghan; Billy Ryan, Richie Hogan, Eoin Cody.

Subs: Darren Brennan, Paul Murphy, Joey Holden, Ciaran Wallace, Richie Reid, Alan Murphy, Colin Fennelly, Walter Walsh, Liam Blanchfield, Ger Aylward, Niall Brassil.

Waterford : Stephen O’Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Conor Prunty, Shane McNulty; Calum Lyons, Tadhg De Burca, Kevin Moran; Jamie Barron, Jake Dillon; Jack Fagan, Kieran Bennett, Stephen Bennett; Dessie Hutchinson, Austin Gleeson, Jack Prendergast.

Subs: Billy Nolan, Peter Hogan, Mark O’Brien, Mikey Kearney, Patrick Curran, Colin Dunford, Conor Gleeson, Darragh Lyons, Neil Montgomery, Iarlaith Daly, Billy Power.

All-Ireland Hurling Championship Semi-Final: Kilkenny vs Waterford, Saturday, 28th November, 18:00 (Croke Park).

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/mickey-harte-new-louth-manager/

It was a busy weekend of #GAA hurling action! #GAANOW has the best moments here in this GAANOW Weekend Hurling Round-Up! pic.twitter.com/k09JELrbi3

— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 24, 2020

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1331263632991248386

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/mickey-harte-new-louth-manager/

The post Kilkenny vs Waterford: Hurling Semi-Final Preview, Team News, Betting, Prediction appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE SCORE COMMENTARY

In their opening Championship game Kilkenny came up against Dublin. The Dubs had come past Laois strongly and were at the advantage of having a competitive game under their belts. However, Kilkenny didn’t need any time to ease themselves into action.

Brian Cody’s team showed no signs of rust. In fact, by half-time they had established a remarkable 15 point lead and looked destined to waltz into the final. However, Dublin were not ready to go down without a fight. They came roaring back in the second half and Kilkenny just couldn’t find a way to extend their lead. By the 71st minute, Dublin had completed a remarkable comeback.

Surprisingly, it was the corner-back Huw Lawlor who emerged as the matchwinner for the Cats. His long-range free in the 74th minute ensured there wasn’t another Championship upset on the cards. It finished 3-20 to 2-22. Billy Ryan, TJ Reid and captain Colin Fennelly were the goalscorers for Cody’s team. Reid ended up with a personal tally of 1-10 and was influential in the first half. All three Kilkenny goals came in the first half. Hence, Brian Cody will be frustrated at his side’s inability to kick-on after the break.

Cody made 5 changes to the team that lost the All-Ireland final last year for this game. So, it will be interesting to see if he keeps faith in this side for the game on Saturday evening.

In contrast, Galway won’t have many complaints about their victory over last year’s Leinster Champions Wexford.

By the full-time whistle there was 17 points between the teams and the performance reflected the comfort of the scoreline.

Shane O’Neill’s men won the battle in the middle third which never allowed Wexford to get to grips with the game. Their domination was capitalised on with efficiency in front of goal.

What was most impressive for Galway was the balance that the team seems to have found between 2017 veterans and newer faces such as Brian Concannon, Fintan Burke, Sean Loftus, and Eanna Murphy. The Galwegians grew in confidence as the game went on. By the end, they had slashed their odds for winning the Championship.

O’Neill’s team seem very much determined to make up for the poor Championship they had last season. A win over last year’s runners-up to progress to a semi-final would be a big statement.

The winner of this tie will earn themselves a two-week break before the All-Ireland semi-final. Whereas, the loser of this one is out again the following week to play one of the winning qualifiers.

RTÉ are showing the GAA game live from Croke Park.

Galway’s performance against Wexford has them 8/11 favourites for this one versus Kilkenny’s 11/8. A draw is 9/1.

Team News

Kilkenny (Leinster SHC v Galway): Eoin Murphy; Conor Delaney, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; Cillian Buckley, Padraig Walsh, Conor Fogarty; Richie Leahy, Conor Browne; John Donnelly, Martin Keoghan, Walter Walsh; TJ Reid, Eoin Cody, Colin Fennelly.

Subs: Darren Brennan, Paul Murphy, Joey Holden, Ciaran Wallace, Darren Mullen, Alan Murphy, Richie Reid, Richie Hogan, Ger Aylward, Liam Blanchfield, Niall Brassil.

Prediction: Galway. If they can replicate the performance they put in a fortnight ago the Connacht team will be considered real All-Ireland contenders again. Meanwhile, the near-miss against Dublin might have just sewn some doubt into Cody’s team.

Leinster Hurling Final: Kilkenny vs Galway, Saturday, 14th November, 18:15 (Croke Park). 

It's Leinster GAA Hurling Final Week

On Saturday familiar rivals @Galway_GAA and @KilkennyCLG meet in Croke Park at 6.15pm.

Who will put their mark on history and be crowned the 2020 Champions?#WhereBelongingBegins #bestseatinthehouse pic.twitter.com/JMYb7btKkW

— Leinster GAA (@gaaleinster) November 9, 2020

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/5-biggest-gaa-shocks-this-century/

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/5-biggest-gaa-shocks-this-century/

https://twitter.com/gaaleinster/status/1325760361245663232

The post Leinster Hurling Final Preview: Kilkenny vs Galway appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Click for Team News & Live Score Commentary

Against Laois, Dublin scored an impressive 2-31. In addition, they kept the goals out at the other end, conceding 0-23. This solidity in their own defence will be important when coming up against last year’s runners-up.

Donal Burke was the Dubs’ top scorer with a personal tally of 1-16. Furthermore, Eamon Dillon hit 1-1 off the bench. In total, the Sky Blues had ten different scorers, something Mattie Kenny will be very pleased about.

Kenny made a couple of interesting calls for this game. Firstly, Chris Cummey was handed a new role. Last year’s captain is best known for being a half-back. However, on this occasion he found himself in the half-forward line and justified the selection with two points.

Secondly, Kenny left ex-All-Star Liam Rushe on the bench alongside experienced performers like Dillon, Shane Barrett and Mark Shutte. All of these came on to make their mark. It will be interesting to see if Kenny decides to stick or twist for the Kilkenny game.

Last year, Dublin suffered a shock to Laois. This time around, such an upset never looked on the cards. But, with the absence of a group stage, Dublin need to hit take the game to their Leinster counterparts.

Cats Primed to Pounce

Kilkenny made it all the way to the All-Ireland final last year despite losing the Leinster finale to Wexford. In fact, they knocked out holders Limerick on the way to doing so.

Earlier in the year, Kilkenny had qualified for the League quarter-final but had been less than convincing in doing so. However, the return of the Ballyhale Shamrocks contingent is a major boost to Brian Cody’s squad. Likewise, Adrian Mullen’s return from injury makes him a solid offering.

The winter Championship has proved fruitful for Kilkenny before. In 1909, they won the All-Ireland Final on the 12th December. Currently, this year’s final is scheduled for the 13th of December. Hence, Kilkenny fans will be hoping history repeats itself.

Paddy Power aren’t expecting an upset for this one. Kilkenny are 3/10 as opposed to Dublin’s 3/1. A draw is 10/1.

The game is live on GAA GO.

Prediction: Kilkenny.

Leinster Hurling Championship Semi-Final: Dublin vs Kilkenny, Saturday, October 31st, 15:45 (Croke Park).

Watch the Full-Time Highlights of Dublin v Laois in the Leinster Hurling Championship here on GAANOW!
Full-Time Score:
Dublin: 2-31
Laois: 0-23 pic.twitter.com/t50khTlMcx

— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 24, 2020

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/list-of-51-gaa-live-matches-scheduled-to-be-shown-on-tv-by-rte-sky-sports/

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/list-of-51-gaa-live-matches-scheduled-to-be-shown-on-tv-by-rte-sky-sports/

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1320075970070667272

The post Dublin vs Kilkenny – Leinster Hurling – Preview & Starting Team News appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.