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Explainer: How next Monday morning's All-Ireland hurling qualifier draw will work

Tipperary, Kilkenny and Waterford are among the teams who will learn their fates.

THREE BIG GUNS are in the hat for next Monday morning’s round 1 All-Ireland senior hurling qualifier draw.

Last year’s All-Ireland finalists Tipperary and Kilkenny are in the mix, along with Waterford.

What that all means is that three of the last four from the 2016 All-Ireland series are in the qualifier minefield, and face the prospect of winning two matches before reaching a potential All-Ireland quarter-final.

  • Pot 1 is made up of the beaten Leinster semi-finalists, Kilkenny and Offaly, as well as the quarter-final losers in the province, Dublin and Westmeath.
  • Pot 2 features the beaten Munster semi-finalists, Waterford and Limerick, along with quarter-final losers Tipperary, and the winners of next Sunday’s preliminary round fixture between Laois and Carlow, fixed for O’Moore Park in Portlaoise.

A draw for the four pairings of pot 1 v pot 2 teams will be made, with the avoidance of a repeat pairing.

If Laois beat Carlow, they have three possible opponents – Dublin, Offaly or Kilkenny – as they’ve already played Westmeath in this year’s championship.

A Carlow win could open it up for a surprise All-Ireland quarter-finalist, should they draw Westmeath in round 1.

The match venues will be determined on a home and away basis but it’s understood that Kilkenny don’t owe Tipperary a return fixture, after the counties last met in a back door clash at Nowlan Park in 2013.

Pot 1 –  Kilkenny/Offaly/Dublin/Westmeath

Pot 2 – Waterford/Tipperary/Limerick/Laois or Carlow. 

The four winners of the round 1 fixtures will progress to round 2 of the All-Ireland qualifiers, where two quarter-finalists will be determined, to join the beaten Leinster and Munster finalists.

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