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Irish Examiner

Weekend Previews: 'After all' Cork have been through coming unstuck now would be unforgivable

SATURDAY All-Ireland Senior Hurling semi-final Dublin v Cork Croke Park, 5pm (J. Murphy) RTÉ2 The collision of the capitals, the skirmish of the speedsters. We're in for a semi-final played at a breakneck pace and possibly something that will arrest some of the attention away from a thrilling football championship. There was no question the arrival of the Dublin football fans for the second half of the quarter-final aided the hurlers. 'I definitely noticed that there was a great energy in Croker,' said midfielder Conor Burke. 'The energy grew throughout the game, obviously as we gave the crowd something to kind of cheer about and get behind as well.' Dublin will bring able support to Croke Park but it will be dwarfed by what Cork will attract and that could play a telling part. Niall O'Leary recently spoke about how they draw more from their handsome following that they will ever know. In this game, especially when Dublin have had two outings since Cork's last, they will be needed in the early exchanges. Dublin had no time to mourn Chris Crummey's absence in the quarter-final. Now they do and he is going to be missed a lot more here. At least Conor Donohoe is available and John Hetherton will be a handful for Eoin Downey whenever he is introduced but at the other square Brian Hayes is in such form that Paddy Smyth, as much as he shackled Aaron Gillane, should be busy. Cork have been warned that complacency has no place here but there should be no question of their hunger or their legs for battle. Dublin's Brian and Ronan Hayes are capable of show them as many clean pair of heels as Shane Barrett and Darragh Fitzgibbon but Cork have pace as back-up too in Messrs Kingston and O'Flynn. So it will be 'After All' or 'This Is' at the final whistle? After all Cork have been through, to come unstuck now would be unforgivable. Verdict: Cork. TG4 All-Ireland senior ladies football quarter-finals Dublin v Cork Parnell Park, 1.15pm (B. Rice, Down) Live TG4. This is where Dublin usually pull up the bootstraps but Waterford demonstrated that they might not have the aura of old. Losing to Kerry was no great shame for Cork but Dublin will be expected to make the Donnycarney factor count. Verdict: Dublin. Galway v Waterford Tuam Stadium, 3.15pm (J. Murphy, Carlow) Live TG4. Only score difference kept Waterford off the top of their group and Galway have to be wary of this one. As good as they looked in heading Group 1 and as determined as they seem to make up for last year, Waterford have to be truly respected. Verdict: Galway. Kerry v Kildare Austin Stack Park, 7.30pm (K. Phelan, Laois) Live TG4. It's been plain sailing for the All-Ireland champions thus far but they could with a test and Kildare at least for a good portion of this game should be able to give them one. Danielle O'Leary and Siofra O'Shea are in mean form. Verdict: Kerry. TG4 All-Ireland senior ladies football relegation play-offs. Donegal v Armagh Stewartstown Harps, 2pm (A. Marron, Monaghan). Neither team would have been expected to be in this predicament. Armagh's goal threat to save their blushes. Verdict: Armagh. Mayo v Leitrim Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry, 2pm (G. Chapman, Sligo). Mayo find themselves in this situation once more and they should be able to get themselves out of bother. Verdict: Mayo. Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final Clare v Waterford Croke Park, 2.30pm (L. Dempsey, Kilkenny) Live RTÉ2. Great exposure for two solid sides as the curtain-raiser to the Cork-Dublin All-Ireland SHC semi-final. Clare won just one of their group matches but then only lose one. On their side, Waterford beat all but table-toppers Galway and they appear more likely to make the most of their return to GAA HQ two years after a final appearance. Verdict: Waterford. Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie relegation play-off Derry v Wexford Darver, 2pm (B. Nea, Westmeath). The manner of these counties's defeats should suggest a restructuring of the championship. There are two too many teams in the senior level. Wexford may just stave off the drop. Verdict: Wexford. SUNDAY All-Ireland Senior Hurling semi-final Tipperary v Kilkenny Croke Park, 4pm (J. Owens) RTÉ2 One more mention of 'bonus territory' and Liam Cahill and Tipperary might take offence. That's if they haven't already. Reaching Croke Park would have been an aspiration of theirs but an All-Ireland semi-final the final destination? Unlikely. This is Tipp, after all. For that very reason, they are a dangerous opponent for Kilkenny on Sunday. It's not just that they are looking for a fifth consecutive championship win – the same total as The Cats – or they have tuned in nicely against Laois and Galway since the Leinster final. It's that they are not fancied. Against almost any other opposition, Kilkenny wouldn't have minded the favourites's tag or the four-week break but both have to be heeded carefully when they tackle a Tipperary team full of gusto and their supporters back on side. Kilkenny will want to cool the neighbours's jets early and it will be the seasoned men who can do most of the water-carrying. Sunday marks TJ Reid and Eoin Murphy's eighth All-Ireland semi-final since their last All-Ireland medal 10 years ago, winning four of the previous seven. Not one of their prettiest records. Others like Paddy Deegan, John Donnelly, Martin Keoghan and Billy Ryan have been burnt too. They have to go back to the league of 2019 for the last time they savoured any sort of a win over Tipperary. Where there are genuine questions about the depth of the Kilkenny panel, Tipperary's concerns are their unsettled midfield and being cut open a bit too readily. They might not be ready yet if this turns out to be a shoot-out. The least Kilkenny should bring here is a demented drive to match the intensity Tipperary will surely produce. Do that and their experience of the venue – 15 appearances to Tipperary's none since 2019 – will swing it. Verdict: Kilkenny. Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC final Kerry v Tyrone Cedral St Conleth's Park, 1.30pm (T. Murphy, Galway) Live TG4. Will he, won't he? The uncertainly around Joel Kerr's availability for this game is not what Tyrone would have wanted as they look to keep their dreams of completing an All-Ireland hat-trick alive. With him, Tyrone are most definitely stronger but without him and it will demand more of the collective. David Sargent and John Curtin are among the leaders for Kerry and if they win their respective battles down the middle then this could be a rare Kingdom win in a final against Tyrone. The young Red Handers have over twice the amount of football that Kerry have thus far this year and that readiness could count. Verdict: Tyrone. TG4 All-Ireland senior ladies football quarter-final Meath v Tipperary Páirc Tailteann, 5.15pm (S. Curley, Galway) Live TG4. Meath have been sticking at the back but haven't been scoring enough to suggest they can go all the way. Tipperary themselves have been too shy in front of goal too but the former winners can advance. Verdict: Meath. Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final Tipperary v Kilkenny Croke Park, 1.30pm (R. Kelly, Kildare) Live RTÉ2. What a billing for this quarter-final even if both would prefer to be straight through to the semi-final stages, of course. Kilkenny's form has been iffy and in these widen open spaces Tipperary, who only lost to Cork in their four group games and scored for fun, could capitalise on that doubt. Verdict: Tipperary.