Afternoon all and welcome along to today’s Allianz Hurling League coverage.
Here are the main games, we’ll be keeping track of.
Division 1A
Kilkenny v Cork, Nowlan Park, 2pm
Tipperary v Clare, Semple Stadium, 3pm
Division 1B
Galway v Laois, Pearse Stadium, 2pm
Wexford v Kerry, Innovate Wexford Park, 2pm
It’s been a brilliant start so far to life with Wexford for Davy Fitzgerald as they’ve claimed victories over Limerick and Galway to now be in pole position for promotion.
The venue for today’s showdown in Kilkenny.
Here’s how last night’s big hurling games unfolded in Croke Park and the Gaelic Grounds.
Kilkenny 0-2 Cork 0-0
2 mins – Flying start from Kilkenny with TJ Reid and Eoin Murphy both converting frees.
Wexford 0-2 Kerry 0-2
Two Lee Chin points so far for Wexford, Kerry reply each time through Brian Murphy and John Buckley.
Kilkenny 0-3 Cork 0-2
8 mins – Shane Kingston finds Alan Cadogan in space and the combination play between the Douglas duo results in a point.
Kilkenny 0-4 Cork 0-4
11 mins – Richie Leahy stretches Kilkenny’s lead before Seamus Harnedy and Lehane are on target to reel them in.
Wexford 0-3 Kerry 0-3
11 mins – Kerry making it interesting at the moment, still level with the Division 1B league leaders.
Galway 0-11 Laois 0-2
11 mins – Galway are running riot in Pearse Stadium, looks grim already for Laois.
Kerry 0-4 Wexford 0-3
Padraig Boyle puts over a free to put Kerry, who are backed by the wind, in front.
Kilkenny 0-5 Cork 0-5
14 mins – Points swapped by TJ Reid from a free and Bill Cooper from play.
Kilkenny 0-6 Cork 0-6
17 mins – It’s tight and closely contested so far in Nowlan Park. A free from Cork’s Conor Lehane leaves the sides level.
Galway 0-13 Laois 0-3
18 mins – An impressive 10-point lead now for Galway. Jason Flynn, Padraic Mannion, Joseph Cooney, Conor Cooney and Aidan Harte amongst their point-scorers to date.
Kilkenny 0-7 Cork 0-6
20 mins – A majestic point by TJ Reid, his first from play, and Kilkenny are back in front.
Wexford 0-6 Kerry 0-4
A little bit of daylight between the teams now as Paul Morris notches a point for Wexford.
Kilkenny 0-8 Cork 0-7
25 mins – Richie Hogan from play for his first of the day and Conor Lehane from a free for his fourth of the day.
Wexford 0-7 Kerry 0-4
Jack O’Connor is fouled and the free is slotted over by Conor McDonald to increase the gap to three points.
Kilkenny 0-9 Cork 0-7
29 mins – Reid fires over a free and then is just off target from play after an excellent flowing move by Kilkenny cut open the Cork rearguard.
Kilkenny 0-11 Cork 0-9
36 mins – Lehane hits over a wonderful free but that’s quickly cancelled out by Richie Hogan.
Kerry 0-7 Wexford 0-7
Paudie O’Connor brings Kerry level.
Galway 0-20 Laois 0-4
Thomas Monaghan on target as Galway reach the 20-point mark.
Half-Time: Galway 0-20 Laois 0-5
Half-Time: Wexford 0-7 Kerry 0-7
Half-Time: Kilkenny 0-11 Cork 0-10
A result from Croke Park.
Cork 0-11 Kilkenny 0-11
37 mins – Conor Lehane brings Cork level early in the second half.
Kilkenny 0-12 Cork 0-12
39 mins – Cillian Buckley points from play and Lehane bangs over a ’65. Cork could have netted before that ’65 but Eoin Murphy was equal to Cormac Murphy’s well-struck shot.
Goal for Wexford from Harry Kehoe!
Goal for Galway from David Burke!
Wexford 1-9 Kerry 0-7
A five-point lead now for Wexford.
Galway 1-23 Laois 0-7
The Galway captain hits the net and it looks like game over in Salthill.
Kilkenny 0-15 Cork 0-12
43 mins – Walter Walsh with a brace and one from Reid sends Kilkenny clear by three.
Tipperary 0-4 Clare 0-0
3 mins – Brendan Maher and John McGrath on target so far for Tipperary.
Kilkenny 0-18 Cork 0-12
45 mins – The gap is steadily increasing. Richie Hogan (2) and Conor Martin both point to increase the gap to six.
Tipperary 0-5 Clare 0-1
8 mins – First point of the day for Clare comes from Podge Collins.
Kilkenny 0-19 Cork 0-13
51 mins – Cork grab a point back through Dean Brosnan but Richie Leahy quickly responds for Kilkenny.
Goal for Wexford from Diarmuid O’Keeffe!
Red card for Kerry’s Patrick Kelly!
Kilkenny 0-20 Cork 0-13
55 mins – Richie Leahy raises another white flag for Kilkenny with a glorious shot from the sideline.
Brilliant save by Anthony Nash to deny Colin Fennelly finding the net for Kilkenny.
Subs: Cork bring in Patrick Horgan and Stephen McDonnnell for Killian Burke and Shane Kingston.
Red card for Cork’s Cormac Murphy.
Tipperary 0-8 Clare 0-8
David Reidy brings the Banner level. They’ve recovered well from a bad start to this game.
Joe Canning and Conor Whelan goals for Galway.
Galway 3-29 Laois 1-10
Quite the beating Galway have handed out at Pearse Stadium today.
Result – Kilkenny 0-22 Cork 0-15
Result: Wexford 3-18 Kerry 0-12
Clare 0-11 Tipperary 0-10
John McGrath points a free and now there’s only one between them in Thurles.
Half-Time: Clare 0-11 Tipperary 0-10
Result: Galway 3-31 Laois 1-11
A good day’s work then in Division 1B for Galway and Wexford while Kilkenny claim their first victory of the campaign in Division 1A.
Clare 0-11 Tipperary 0-11
Noel McGrath brings Tipperary level early in the second half.
Tipperary 0-15 Clare 0-12
45 mins - Noel and John McGrath both point, three in it now.
Tipperary 0-19 Clare 0-15
55 mins – John McGrath fires over a point, he’s been excellent today.
Tipperary 0-22 Clare 0-15
60 mins – Tipperary pulling clear now, seven points to the good.
Tipperary 0-23 Clare 0-20
68 mins – Galvin has made a real impression since coming on, now only three between the sides.
Tipperary 0-27 Clare 0-20
71 mins – Tipperary putting the game to bed now, newcomer Paul Flynn on target.
Result: Tipperary 0-28 Clare 0-21
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Unfortunate for them with the injuries, would have been great to see them fully loaded having a crack at Europe.
Glad McCabe is back, good player, thought it was a poor decision in the Summer to let him go.
Wonder what Conan O’Donnell is up to this weather
@ScewMadd: He was togging out for Counties Manukau in the mitre cup, prior to that he was at the sunwolves. Since the mitre cups completion I am not sure where he’s at. He put in a few 80min performances for Counties and he looked v solid. They played him at lh for all but one of his starts. Connacht could do with him now that’s for sure.
@Ian Verdon: I thought O’Donnell and Kenny would be starting for Connacht as a duo for 10 years when they first came on the scene. Both looked serious prospects but O’Donnell didn’t work out for some reason and Kenny’s taking more time do come through that I thought he would. His technique needed a good bit of work but a serious specimen.
@Eddie Hekenui: O’Donnell impressed me for counties this season, granted I only saw 3 of his performances. He seems comfortable playing either side of the scrum and his skillset is good. Kenny at 133kg is certainly a specimen, for me he needs to shed a few kg’s. His athleticism isn’t bad for a lad of his weight but I think with an added injection of acceleration he could be more of a weapon with ball in hand and get around the park more. He’s only 23 which is still young for a prop. He could well be on the bench this weekend I’ll be keeping an eye on him if indeed he is and does get on.
@Ian Verdon: Having seen him in action last season he’s definitely trimmed down since he was an U20 so I doubt he’s still 133 but you’re spot on that he could still do with tightening things up a bit. Still looks to be carrying a bit of bad weight. He’s some engine on him considering his size too. He got through a mountain of work in the game I saw him live and he did a number on his opposite number in the scrum which was a bit of a weakness for him at U20 level.
Yeah O’Donnell was a lad I was really surprised got let go. He was a huge prospect at underage levels and it’s an area Connacht have very little depth. But the coaches saw him in action everyday so are sure to have had good reasons. Hopefully he can continue his career somewhere else and maybe work himself back into contention somewhere in Ireland.
@Eddie Hekenui: it states on Connacht’s team page he’s still 133kg but that may not have been updated. For his size he does have a impressive engine but even cutting down 5kg can make a world if difference to ones athleticism just look at Healy and killer.
O’Donnell is still only 23 himself maybe he’ll do a thornbury and try educate and develop his game in Nz playing m with likes of counties and come back in a year or so better for it. Wether that be with Connacht or indeed another province.
@Ian Verdon: I wouldn’t place much stock in figures listed on the clubs websites. They’re never updated. They get put in after the players initial testing and that’s it. I’d be less concerned with a weight figure than a composition one too. He looked like he’s lost a lot of the bad weight he was carrying and turned it into muscle.
This could be a massacre, as could every other Connacht match in the tournament