Sunday 1 May

Leinster SHC
Galway v Kilkenny, Pearse Stadium, 2pm
Laois v Wexford, MW Hire O'Moore Park, 2.30pm
Westmeath v Dublin, TEG Cusack Park, 3pm

Munster SHC
Cork v Clare, FBD Semple Stadium, 2pm

ONLINE

Live blog on RTÉ Sport Online and RTÉ News Now app

TV

Galway versus Kilkenny is live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player, while GAAGo will be showing the Cork v Clare Munster clash on the island of Ireland.

Highlights of all games on The Sunday Game on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player at 9.30pm

RADIO

Live updates as part of Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 and in Irish on Raidió na Gaeltachta.

WEATHER

Light rain spreading from the northwest throughout the day.

Details at Met.ie.

Student takes on the Master

A game that carries much intrigue will open up proceedings in Leinster on Sunday afternoon.

Henry Shefflin, arguably the greatest player the game has ever seen, and his Galway side, takes on the man behind all of his inter-county success on the field - and his native county - Brian Cody and Kilkenny.

Shefflin won an incredible 10 Celtic Crosses under Cody before going on to guide Ballyhale to two All-Ireland club titles in a row as manager. Many see him as a future Kilkenny manager, but Cody is showing no signs of losing the hunger to bring the Cats back to September... eh, July glory.

Galway v Kilkenny - Last 5 meetings:
2020 Leinster final: Kilkenny 2-20 Galway 0-24
2019 Leinster round-robin: Kilkenny 2-22 Galway 3-20
2018 Leinster final replay: Galway 1-28 Kilkenny 3-15
2018 Leinster final: Galway 0-18 Kilkenny 0-18
2018 Leinster round-robin: Galway 1-22 Kilkenny 2-11

This one has plenty of promise although it's fair to say that both teams have fallen down the pecking order somewhat over the last few seasons.

The counties met in two All-Ireland finals after the Tribesmen arrived into the province in 2009. The Cats won both, in 2012 and 2015, but it's five years since either has lifted the Liam MacCarthy and that was Galway.

Kilkenny have been building since their disappointing 2017 season and will be aiming to lift a third Bob O'Keefe Cup on the spin on 4 June. The Cats are two from two having met the two minnows in Leinster this year; Laois and Westmeath. But it's these next three games, with Dublin and Wexford up next, that will define their Leinster campaign.

Galway come into the game having annihilated the Lake County last weekend after opening their campaign with a draw away to Wexford. The failure to finish out the game against the Yellowbellies means questions still remain about this Galway team.

Defeat on Sunday afternoon will leave them having to get a result against Dublin at Salthill on the last day.

Wexford looking to bounce back

Elsewhere in the province Wexford will be aiming for their first win of their campaign after the draw with Galway and last week's narrow defeat to Dublin.

The Yellowbellies can get a maximum of seven points - which would include an exceptionally rare championship victory over Kilkenny at Nowlan Park - and Darragh Egan will know that scoring difference will be critical for them. That starts in Portlaoise on Sunday.

Lee Chin has come off the bench in both of their games so far and had his usual positive impact. It's safe to assume that his manager will be aiming to have him fully fit for the trip to Nowlan Park in three weeks.

Wexford know scoring could come into it if they're to qualify out of Leinster

But Laois will have targeted their games against Dublin and Wexford as the ones where they can lay down a marker and move away from being considered also-rans in the province.

The O'Moore men came close to snatching a late win against the Dubs at Parnell Park the first day, and they'll be hoping to do one better against a deflated Wexford team.

Cheddar Plunkett will have no issue getting his team up for this one and it could be a close affair at Portlaoise if the hosts can stay in the game early doors.

Dubs aiming to maintain perfect record

Mattie Kenny will have been very satisfied to finally beat Wexford in championship last Saturday.

When the game was in the melting point Donal Burke and Fergal Whitely shot some really excellent scores at a windy Chadwicks Wexford Park, while Danny Sutcliffe's late diving block was well shared on social media.

But it will be worth very little if Dublin can't pick up at least a point from their upcoming meetings with Kilkenny and Galway.

Before that it's a meeting with Westmeath, who are managed by Joe Fortune. The Wexford native will know these Dublin players particularly well, having managed the county's minors and U21's in the last decade. He also led Ballyboden to a county title in 2018, so he's seen a lot of the Dublin players at close quarters.

It's unlikely that the knowledge will be enough to turnover Dublin on Sunday afternoon, but having lost their first two matches by a combined total of 42 points, they'll be hopeful of sticking with the Metropolitans for as long as possible.

Cork under pressure

The other big game of Sunday afternoon will see Cork host Clare at Thurles. The reason, of course, is because of Ed Sheeran and his insistence on touring in the middle of the GAA season.

Clare impressed last weekend as they saw off Tipperary in their Munster opener but their sole championship victory in their last eight meetings with Sunday's opponents came in 2019's round robin.

Other than that the Rebels have been too strong for the Banner in championship of late, including a victory in last year's qualifiers.

Cork v Clare - Last 5 meetings:
2021 R2 qualifier: Cork 3-19 Clare 1-23
2019 Munster round-robin: Clare 2-23 Cork 2-18
2018 Munster final: Cork 2-24 Clare 3-19
2018 Munster round-robin: Cork 2-23 Clare 1-21
2017 Munster final: Cork 1-25 Clare 1-20

But Cork are coming into the clash at Thurles knowing that a defeat would leave their summer prospects hanging in the balance.

They were beaten by Limerick on the opening day, with a minimum of four points likely required to finish in the top three in the province. So they would be leaving themselves with little wiggle room were they to come away with no points from Thurles.

Former Waterford manager Derek McGrath isn't writing off last year's All-Ireland finalists just yet.

"A lot has been written and a lot has been said in the last two weeks," he told this week's RTÉ GAA Podcast.

"I think if there's 'stuff' in Cork - and I'm not one of those that thinks there's not stuff in these Cork guys. I believe there is and I think it's going to manifest itself on Sunday. And it has to and I think it will."

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