Tipperary v Galway, Semple Stadium, 2.30pm
Tipperary won the Waterford Crystal Cup last weekend, and will be looking to build on that success when they welcome Galway to Thurles on Sunday afternoon.
The silverware will have come as a timely boost for the Premier County after their opening day reverse to Kilkenny. It wasn’t just the scoreline that hurt in Nowlan Park, but the gulf in quality between the sides.
Tipp manager Declan Ryan admitted as much after the game, and seemed particularly concerned that he had felt his charges had done the requisite work since January to be performing at a much higher level.
The decision of Lar Corbett to opt off the panel would obviously have had an effect, but the 2010 All-Ireland champions need to move on now and concentrate on the personnel at their disposal.
Galway got their league campaign off to a flyer with a 0-20 to 0-13 win over an admittedly understrength Dublin. Niall Burke was in inspirational form for the Tribesmen, accounting for half of their overall total.
Manager Anthony Cunningham has seen fit to leave it mostly well enough alone. The only change to the starting XV sees Bernard Burke come in at the expense of Barry Daly. Joe Canning is still sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Cunningham has said he believes he has the “raw material” to win silverware. However, his predecessors were also provided with talented collectives. The challenge for Cunningham is to produce the finished product.
He has a bit to do on that front yet, but a win in Thurles would be a significant step in the right direction. The hosts need a win, however, and the Waterford Crystal victory over Clare should hold them in good stead.
Verdict: Tipperary
