National Leagues: Waterford hurling manager Justin McCarthy has conceded his team have a slight advantage going into Sunday's final round of the National Hurling League. Their match against Tipperary in Thurles will start after both other games in the top section, meaning Waterford will know exactly what is required to book their place in the final.
Cork host Clare on Saturday evening, while the Galway-Limerick tie at Pearse Stadium has a 1.45 start as it is part of a double-header with the Galway-Tyrone football semi-final replay. The Waterford-Tipperary match starts at 3.30.
The two best-placed teams on the table on Sunday evening will go straight to the league final on May 9th, and with all but Cork still in contention for a place, scoring difference is certain to play some part.
Though Waterford are the only team with two wins from two starts, defeat by more than a few of points could see them miss out. A draw would be sufficient. If Tipperary beat them by four points, to be level on points and scoring difference, then Tipperary would still end up better placed on the basis of scoring more than Waterford in phase two.
"One thing we will know is exactly what we have to do at 3.30 on Sunday," said McCarthy. "And I suppose that has to be a slight advantage. But then it can work both ways, and turn out to be a good or a bad thing. So I certainly don't see it as any major advantage.
"But all we've done during this league is take each game as it comes, and Sunday won't be any different. There's never any good in looking too far around the corner. "
The potential congestion facing Waterford and Clare should they make the league final has already been highlighted, with their championship clash set for May 16th in Thurles - a week after the league decider. Yet McCarthy continues to focus on the present.
"We'll be approaching this game the same as we would any other in the National League. If we win we'll think about where that leaves us for the following week and if we lose we won't get carried away.
"We have shown some reasonable form. But the one thing you will always learn going into the championships is that you are only as good as your last game. I still think there are a lot of teams around at the moment at a very even level and all it takes is for one of them to strike form on a particular day to beat the other. And if we don't strike that form when it matters we're gone," he added.
McCarthy also has concerns in the run-in to Sunday's game, primarily over the injuries of defender Tony Browne and forward Paul Flynn. The neck injury sustained by Flynn in last Sunday's clash with Cork is said to be most serious.
"We'll they're two very good men so obviously we'll be keeping our fingers crossed that they'll be up to it and able to play their part. But we have a panel of 30 players and we'll always have a few ready to step in if they're needed."
The announcement at the weekend's Congress that official county panels would be cut from 30 to 24 has incensed many managers, but McCarthy is content to deal with what he's got: "Right now we have nine under-21s on our panel and it's unfortunate that younger players like that might miss out on that kind of experience in the future. But all that's peripheral to my main concern, which is to prepare whatever players I have as best I can."
Most other managers from the top section share some of McCarthy's concerns over player injuries heading into Sunday's last round, and none more so than Anthony Daly of Clare. His full back Brian Lohan is ruled out with the recurrence of a hamstring problem that is threatening his role in the early stages of the championship.
Midfielder Ollie Baker is another absentee as he awaits examination of the eye injury sustained in a practice match last week, although he is more confident of making the championship date of May 16th.
In Limerick it has been confirmed that Ciarán Carey has opted out of the panel at his own request, and the captaincy has been passed on to long-serving defender TJ Ryan.
Limerick show three changes in personnel from the team which beat Clare for Sunday's visit to Galway. Out go goalkeeper Albert Shanahan and forwards Donie Ryan and Michael McKenna, replaced by John Cahill, Andrew O'Shaughnessy and Donnacha Sheehan.
LIMERICK: J Cahill; M Cahill, T J Ryan, B Carroll; O Moran, B Geary, M Foley; N Moran, C Smith; J P Sheahan, J O'Brien, S O'Connor; A O'Shaughnessy, O O'Neill, D Sheehan.
