Divisional deciders, relegation play-offs and the Divsion 1 quarter-finals make for a fascinating weekend in the Allianz Hurling League, writes James McMahon.
SATURDAY 1 APRIL
Allianz HL Division 1B relegation play-off
1900 Laois v Kerry, O'Moore Park
The Kingdom were in the driving seat to avoid this encounter, but could not make home advantage count against Offaly. Their two-point loss to the Faithful sees them up against a Laois side who, despite a late surge against Wexford, could not get the point that would have seen them progress to a league quarter-final.
Recent encounters between the sides have gone the way of Kerry, with the latter winning by four points when the sides met on 12 February.
The Munster outfit beat Laois twice in last year’s league, 1-24 to 2-14 in the 1B group games and 2-27 to 1-19 in the relegation play-off.
Allianz HL Division 2A final
1500 Antrim v Carlow, Páirc Esler
Carlow are back in the final for a second successive year, having lost to Westmeath by two points in 2016.
Colm Bonnar's side were unbeaten in 2A and topped the section. They warmed up for this game with a comprehensive defeat of Armagh,
Antrim suffered a final-day defeat to Westmeath to leave them level on points with Kildare, but they advance on the head-to-head rule,
The finalists here clashed in Round 2 which ended in a draw - Antrim 2-15 Carlow 0-21 - at Netwatch Cullen Park.
Allianz HL Division 2B final
1700 Meath v Wicklow, Parnell Park
Allianz HL Division 2B relegation play-off
1900 Mayo v Roscommon, MacHale Park
Allianz HL Division 3A final
1400 Donegal v Tyrone, Celtic Park
SUNDAY 2 APRIL
Allianz HL Division 1 quarter-finals
1600 Cork v Limerick, Páirc Uí Rinn
1600 Galway v Waterford, Pearse Stadium
1600 Kilkenny v Wexford, Nowlan Park
1600 Offaly v Tipperary, O'Connor Park
While many expected Cork to struggle in 1A, they confounded the critics with a strong finish that yielded wins over Waterford and Tipperary.
Limerick, after defeats to Wexford and Galway, finished third in 1B.
This will be the first Allianz Hurling League clash between the counties since 2014 when they drew in the first round of the 1B campaign.
Limerick won a quarter-final tie last year, beating Dublin, while Cork didn’t reach the last eight, instead facing a 1A relegation play-off against Galway, which they won.
Waterford finished third in Allianz Hurling League 1A, winning three of their five games while Galway came second in 1B, winning four.
The counties last met in the league in 2016 when they finished level in the final round of matches in the top tier.
Galway's last league crown came in 2010, while the Déise were winners two years ago.
The Kilkenny- Wexford fixture is one that has garnered much attention following on from Wexford's revival this spring under Davy Fitzgerald and the prospect of counties meeting again in the Leinster championship come June.
Davy Fitz did say it would take a couple of seasons before the Yellowbellies would be equipped to emerge from Division 1B, but doing so at the first time of asking raised has certainly raised expectations within the county.
The win in Galway on 19 February was the result that more or less sealed their promotion to the top flight.
Kilkenny, after a slow start to the campaign, found their groove in that epic encounter with Tipperary and then secured their last-eight spot with a hard-earned win over Dublin last weekend.
Sunday's meeting will be the first league clash between these neighbours since the 2014 quarter-final, which the Cats won by 4-23 to 2-16.
Offaly saved their best until last when they accounted for Kerry in Tralee. However, they now face a daunting task in taking on the All-Ireland champions Tipperary at O'Connor Park.
The counties last met in this competition two years ago, also at the quarter-final stage, with Tipp winning by 1-16 to 0-13.
Allianz HL Division 1A relegation play-off
1600 Clare v Dublin, Cusack Park
It's only three weeks since these counties last met. Late points by Aaron Cunningham and Ian Galvin gave the Banner a narrow win.
Clare are trying to avoid dropping back into 1B after one season in the top flight while the last time the Dubs were relegated was in 2012 when they lost a play-off to Galway.
* The above quarter-finals will be decided on the day. If a game finishes level after 70 minutes, extra-time of two periods of ten minutes will be played.
If teams are still level after the above, an additional two periods of five minutes will be played.
If there is still stalemate after the additional two periods, a free-taking competition will decide the outcome.
Each team will nominate five free-takers for the competition and indicate to the referee in which order (one to five) the free-takers will take the frees. The five players above must be chosen from players who have participated in the game, either in normal time or in one of the periods of extra-time.
Players who receive a red card in hurling in normal time or any of the four periods of extra-time are not permitted to participate in the free-taking competition.
The referee will toss a coin for choice of ends in the presence of the team captains. The captain who wins the toss will choose which end the free-taking competition should be played into and will have the option of his team going first or second.
Allianz HL Division 3B final
1330 Longford v Warwickshire, Healy Park
ONLINE
Live blog on RTÉ.ie/the News Now app from 1530 on Sunday.
ON TV
Live coverage of Galway v Waterford on TG4 from 1530. Also live on GAAGO.
Highlights of all the day's action on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ2 from 2130.
ON RADIO
Updates and reports on all of the day's action on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 from 1400.
WEATHER
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a little patchy rain or drizzle, especially in Atlantic coastal areas. Breezy, with freshening southerly winds.
