Waterford v Limerick in the Munster Hurling Championship: All you need to know
SATURDAY 3 MAY
Munster SHC round 3
Waterford v Limerick, Walsh Park Waterford, 6pm
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Live blog on RTÉ Sport and RTÉ News app
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Live commentary and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's Spórt an tSathairn.
WEATHER
Cloudier conditions with perhaps a few spots of light rain will move southwards through the afternoon with sunny spells following from the north later. Highest temperatures of 15 to 17 degrees with moderate northerly winds. For more go to met.ie.
The GAA must have been big fans of the 2023 Oscars. How else to explain a schedule that goes from Everything All At Once to All Quiet On The Western Front?
After two weeks of non-stop action, there are just three senior men's games this weekend and one in hurling: Limerick's trip to Walsh Park tomorrow.
The Treaty were not the dominant side we have been used to seeing in recent years in their opening-round draw with Tipperary at Semple Stadium and might have been happy enough to get out with a draw.
A two-week break will have helped get some players back up to speed after injury and John Kiely has made two changes to the full-back line after conceding two goals against Tipp; Dan Morrissey, who had hamstring issues during the league, comes in at full-back with Mike Casey switching to left-corner back and four-time All-Star Sean Finn is in the right corner.
Barry Murphy is left out of the squad and Colin Coughlan drops to the bench as Barry Nash is pushed forward to wing-back alongside Kyle Hayes, who moves to centre-back from centre-forward, allowing Will O'Donoghue to take his more customary midfield spot.
Peter Casey is also not among the 26, despite having come on as a sub in Thurles but goalkeeper Nickie Quaid appears to have come through his return just over four months after undergoing cruciate ligament surgery unscathed.
By contrast, it's a very quick turnaround for the Déise after their surprise win over All-Ireland champions Clare last Sunday.
Waterford are still looking for a first qualification from the Munster round-robin - they progressed when it reverted to the old format in 2020-21 - and a first championship win over Limerick in 14 years would be a huge step towards that.
Only once (2019) in the five previous editions of the group stage has a team with four points failed to advance.
Peter Queally makes just one switch to the XV that gave him a 100% record in inter-county management, 20-year-old Patrick Fitzgerald replacing Kieran Bennett after coming off the bench to score two points against the Banner. Jamie Barron (0-04 against Clare) moves back into midfield with Fitzgerald at corner-forward.
That means former hurler-of-the-year Austin Gleeson is again amongst the subs having come on in the closing stages last weekend.
But other key men like Stephen Bennett (2-08, 4fs last week), Tadhg de Burca and Conor Prunty all seem fully fit while defender Mark Fitzgerald continues to impress.
Waterford are big underdogs again this weekend, understandable given their opponents and relative lack of recovery time, but have the benefit of home advantage once more.
"I think it is a great opportunity for Waterford," Offaly great Michael Duignan told the RTÉ GAA Podcast, while also calling for some league games to be played before Christmas to ease calendar congestion.
"Another factor in the six days is that the game last Sunday by Munster hurling standards wasn't the most intense of games. Clare very flat.
"I think they have very little to lose in this game. Last week there was pressure on them because of their poor record and where they've been.
"But they knew themselves and we talked about it last week, (there's) a sense that they really have bought into Peter Queally.
"It's a real Waterford thing. Sometimes an outside manager can work really well and I think it was the time for them to close shop and they've done that and getting two home games in a row, just the way the draw went, I think is very significant as well.
"So they have a great chance but I am expecting a much better performance from Limerick as well."
Waterford: Billy Nolan; Ian Kenny, Conor Prunty, Iarlaith Daly; Mark Fitzgerald, Tadhg de Burca, Paddy Leavey; Darragh Lyons, Jamie Barron; Jack Prendergast, Stephen Bennett, Patrick Curran; Kevin Mahony, Dessie Hutchinson, Patrick Fitzgerald.
Subs: Shaun O'Brien, Gavin Fives, Kieran Bennett, Tom Barron, Shane Bennett, Michael Kiely, Austin Gleeson, Sean Walsh, Conor Sheahan, Carthach Daly, Padraig Fitzgerald.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash; Adam English, William O'Donoghue; Gearóid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Shane O'Brien, David Reidy.
Subs: Shane Dowling, Colin Coughlan, Seamus Flanagan, Ethan Hurley, Aidan O'Connor, Fergal O'Connor, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Darragh O'Donovan, Paddy O'Donovan, Cathal O'Neill, Eddie Stokes
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