SATURDAY
Leinster SHC quarter-final
Dublin v Antrim, Páirc Táilteann, 3pm
Laois v Wexford, UPMC Nowlan Park, 6pm
ONLINE
Live blog and live scores on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app
TV
Both games live on GAAGO
Highlights on The Sunday Game, 9.30pm, RTÉ One
RADIO
Live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.
WEATHER
A mix of cloud and sunny spells. Scattered showers will develop but becoming largely dry and sunny by the evening. Highest temperatures of 15 to 19 degrees in light to moderate northeasterly breezes.
For more, head to met.ie.
CROWD INFO
Attendances for both Leinster SHC quarter-final games capped at 200.
PODCAST
'Unsteady' Dublin face uncomfortable afternoon against resurgent Antrim
Dublin's U20 Leinster final victory over Galway was a badly needed shot in the arm for the capital's hurlers, at the very least, providing respite after an underwhelming league performance from the seniors in 2021.
They won two of five matches in the comparatively tame 1B round-robin, significantly, losing all three of their games against the more established top tier counties.
Coming on top of a forgettable showing in last year's championship, in which a spirited second half revival against Kilkenny was followed by an abject qualifier exit against Cork in Thurles, it hasn't served to fan any expectations ahead of the 2021 season.
In this week's RTÉ GAA podcast, the Irish Independent's Conor McKeon characterised the recent league meeting between Wexford and Dublin as a collision of "two teams who are looking pretty unsteady on their feet."
This week, Dublin will have been further unbalanced by the news that their goal-nabber in chief, Eamonn Dillon, is gone for the season, the result of a training injury.
Kilmacud Crokes' Ronan Hayes was responsible for two of Dublin's rather paltry tally of four goals in Division 1B and greater responsibility will fall on him to provide a goal threat.
Out the field, Danny Sutcliffe is working hard and handling plenty of ball, though against Clare in particular, he racked up a fair-sized personal wides-tally.
Donal Burke, however, operating further out the field, continues to register huge scores, the majority, though not all, from frees.
It was Hayes who scored their goal in the 1-26 to 1-18 win over Antrim in Parnell Park. The result represented the only bum note in what was a hugely impressive league effort from the northerners.
The scratchy nature of the 2020 Joe McDonagh final convinced some that Darren Gleeson's side weren't equipped to hang around the top tier for long.
But they remained unbeaten in their little fortress at Corrigan Park, becoming the talk of the hurling world after their win over Clare, and followed it up with a superb display in drawing with Wexford - the latter being the first hurling league game to take place before crowds.
Neil McManus has been Antrim's biggest household name for a while, though James McNaughton and Keelan Molloy emerged as the brightest stars of the Wexford performance.
After their respective leagues, many would assume that Dublin are vulnerable to an upset against a well-primed Antrim.
The caveat here is the venue. Dublin do not have to go to Belfast. And while, Antrim do not have to go to Parnell either, the sense is that the neutral surroundings may tip the balance back towards Mattie Kenny's more established side.
Wexford seek to atone for 2020 no-show
Wexford are seeking to recover from their appallingly limp performance in the 2020 championship, in which they scored a cumulative total of 0-34 in two matches, losing heavily to Galway and then Clare.
In spite of the abject showing, Davy Fitzgerald ultimately decided this his time in Wexford had not run its course and is back for more.
They do have some form when it comes to following down years with good years, their Leinster title winning season of 2019 came after a dismally forgettable summer in 2018.
During the league, off-field matters were far more interesting than on. Brian Lohan's interview on the mysterious case of the Clare close contacts (which found echoes in the Euros) drew an angry response and a demand for a retraction from the Wexford GAA hierarchy.
And then there was Paul Galvin's claim that Fitzgerald had deliberately sought to undermine him during the former's time as county football manager.
Then there was the obligatory banishment to the stands for Davy, referee Patrick Murphy ordering him off in Belfast. Guilty fingers pointing everywhere.
On the pitch, wins over Clare and Dublin were soured by a bad defeat against Kilkenny. Though in their final match against the Dubs, Paul Morris, Rory O'Connor and Lee Chin were all in fine shooting form while Mark Fanning continues to rain long bombs over the crossbar.
There's a sense that Laois's momentum was badly punctured by the departure of Eddie Brennan after just two seasons.
While 2020 saw a drop-off from their annus mirabilis in 2019, they still pushed Clare to a point in a tension-wracked qualifier, the same Clare side who handily dispatched Wexford the next day out.
Cheddar Plunkett, the man who kick-started their revival around 2013-15, stepped into the breach again. They hardly disgraced themselves in Division 1 but don't seem to be moving the same energy or purpose as they were two years ago.
Many of the names that were conspicuous in their rise that year - Purcell, King, Mullaney, Rowland - are still around and prominent.
Most of their losses in Division 1B hovered around the 8-12 point range. But the 19-point defeat against Wexford back in early May doesn't bode well.
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