AND THEN THERE were six.

Kilkenny and Limerick are already safely through to the All-Ireland semi-finals as provincial champions. The identity of the other two teams joining them will be discovered this weekend as a Semple Stadium double-header sees Dublin face Cork before Clare collide with Wexford.

Before the quarter-final action gets underway, let’s take a look at the key forwards who will dictate the outcome of the games.

*****

1. Shane O’Donnell – Clare

A quieter Munster final by his standards, although the quality of ball being delivered in to him at times was poor. That said, he still left his prints on the game with a point from play and two assists for Tony Kelly.

Deployed as more of a playmaker this year, O’Donnell has excelled in the role throughout the Munster championship while also pocketing 1-6 from play. He picked up the man of the match award against Waterford after another lively day where he was involved in goals scored by Kelly and Mark Rodgers. O’Donnell won All-Stars over the last two seasons but is still maintaining an excellent pitch in his game. Speaking to the media earlier this year, he said that having the permission to take time off during the league has benefitted him in that respect.

Damien Reck marshalled O’Donnell when Clare and Wexford last met in the championship two years ago, as the Éire Óg man helped the Banner to a comeback win with two points.

*****

2. Lee Chin – Wexford 

By the end of the first two rounds of the Leinster championship, Lee Chin already had 3-23 in the bank. He added another 31 points against Galway, Carlow and Kilkenny to clock out of the provincial round-robin series as the highest scorer with a total of 1-11 from play.

There were concerns earlier in the year that Wexford were too dependent on Chin for scores, and even as players like Conor McDonald and Rory Connor hit their stride to shoulder the burden, Chin was still dazzling. Despite losing to Antrim, Chin was still singled out for the man of the match award after that shock result in Corrigan Park.

Clare will most likely select John Conlon for the man-marking job on Wexford’s talisman this weekend which should make for an intriguing tussle as two of the strongest players in the game slug it out.

*****

3. Alan Connolly – Cork

A haul of 1-4 against Waterford gave Alan Connolly a bright start in the Munster round-robin, and the games that followed cemented his place as Cork’s biggest scoring threat. His performance against Tipperary was particularly noteworthy as he posted 3-1 to inspire a rampant victory in Thurles.

Connolly has battled with shoulder and hamstring injuries in recent seasons, making his first appearance for Cork in 21 months against Offaly during the league. He bagged a hat-trick of goals in that game followed by another trio of green flags against Wexford. He admitted to being in “a dark place” with those issues, but the form he’s producing this year firmly puts him in All-Star territory.

His contribution in a full-forward line that also includes Patrick Horgan and Brian Hayes will give Micheál Donoghue’s Dublin a thumping headache in their preparations this week even after a more subdued afternoon against Offaly last weekend.

*****

4. Dónal Burke – Dublin

Dónal Burke was electric in the Leinster championship this year, serving up 2-59 for Dublin from play and frees, as they reached the final for the first time since 2021. He missed out on his club Na Fianna’s sensational run to county title glory and a Leinster final last year after tearing his hamstring off the bone, but has roared to life on his return.

His 1-10 against Galway drew plenty of attention particularly since he had already clocked 1-6 before half-time. He put eight points on the board against Kilkenny in their last round-robin outing which Dublin should have won in their home comforts of Parnell Park.

But Burke was not afforded the same luxuries when the sides met again in Croke Park for the decider. It was difficult for any of the Dublin players to be impactful during that 16-point defeat, but Burke’s eight frees prevented it from escalating into an all-out slaughter. 

Cork will be in no mood to be part of Dublin’s redemption story this weekend, but if they are to produce a response from the Leinster final, unleashing Burke will be a critical factor.

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