Weekend Previews

All matches at 2.30pm unless stated

Today

NFL – Division Four

Wicklow v Waterford, Aughrim – A big second-half comeback got Wicklow a point in Belfast last week and they will be expected to add another two this afternoon against a Waterford side unlikely to repeat last year’s heroics after a number of playing defections.

Clare v Sligo, Cooraclare – Excellent start to Clare’s campaign a week ago with a hard-fought win in Carlow, whereas visitors Sligo gave Kilkenny a 25-point spanking. The harder match should stand to the home team but Sligo have the wherewithal to take both points.

Kilkenny v Antrim, Nowlan Park – A chance for two points and scoring-difference additive as the division favourites visit Kilkenny.

Tomorrow

NFL – Division Four

Leitrim v Carlow, Carrick-on-Shannon – This should be a battle. Leitrim had to dig deep to get the win in London but they can make home advantage count against a Carlow side disappointed to lose to Clare.

NHL – Division One

Limerick v Clare, Gaelic Grounds – In the old days this pair pulled 17,000 to their league meetings and there will be optimism in both camps ahead of the coming campaign. Clare had a much improved year under Michael McNamara and maintained momentum when winning the Munster Cup.

The managers met at this venue eight months ago in what became Justin McCarthy’s last day out with Waterford. McCarthy has been vague about his league ambitions, beyond the standard desire to identify new players and mould them into a system.

Clare suffer from no such ambivalence and having started the season well, field an experienced side tomorrow with one newcomer, Cathal Dillon, who steps into the county’s legendary number three jersey for so long (all but two championship matches in 14 seasons) the preserve of the Lohan family. This should be an away win.

Cork v Dublin, Páirc Uí Chaoimh – Dublin make the first trip of the league season, heavily favoured to beat Cork minus their entire panel from last year plus others who would be next in line.

It’s a lot of pressure for the visitors who face humiliation if they lose and who will be expected to win pulling up.

Realistically, as manager Anthony Daly has said, two points is the primary aim. Although under-strength, Dublin benefit from the return of Alan McCrabbe and should win against the home team, for whom centrefielder Barry Johnson and corner back Conor O’Sullivan, who had a good county championship, have the best chance of stepping up to the required level.

Dublin, an encouraging win over Offaly in the Walsh Shield final under their belt, can do the needful.

Waterford v Tipperary, Walsh Park – A second meeting for these counties after last month’s Munster Cup exhibition of swamp hurling. Both are considerably under-strength, with Tipp fielding just one of the forwards who lined out when the sides played in last season’s All-Ireland semi-final and Waterford missing the entire full-forward line of Eoin McGrath, Eoin Kelly and John Mullane, who put up 1-15 between them in last August’s encounter.

Waterford will probably have a nondescript campaign as they try to rehabilitate after the All-Ireland final mauling and ultimately the team’s appetite will be open to question in the season ahead after a decade plugging away.

Despite the comparable losses on either side, Tipperary look marginally better, with a solid looking defence and better cover in attack.

Galway v Kilkenny, Pearse Stadium – This is round two of a potential five competitive meetings between the counties this year. The sequence got off to a lively start last week with the Walsh Cup final going to extra-time after a typically dauntless recovery by Kilkenny’s shadow team.

Galway, while disappointed, weren’t despondent having played some good hurling in the prevailing conditions and having to cope with the absence of a troupe of players primarily because of Portumna’s and Cappataggle’s All-Ireland club involvements.

It’s Kilkenny’s practice to play the league for all it’s worth in terms of inculcating winning habits in as many of the panel as possible, as well as identifying those whose form will make them front runners for the championship team in hurling’s foremost meritocracy.

This could go either way but the visitors will be keen to demonstrate that it’s business as usual.

NHL – Division Two

Kerry v Wexford, Tralee (1pm) – Wexford manager Colm Bonnar is correct about the pressure on promotion candidates in this division. Any slip-ups, particularly in matches like this, can sink the season. Unlikely to happen here, as Mossie Carroll was appointed Kerry manager barely two weeks ago.

Antrim v Westmeath, Casement Park – Consistently at the top of the second tier in recent years Westmeath added the Kehoe Cup last week but are still likely to find the gap between themselves and the Ulster champions too wide.

Offaly v Carlow, Tullamore – On early-season form, Christy Ring Cup holders Carlow are finding it hard to hit the ground running and in last week’s Kehoe Cup Westmeath reversed the Ring Cup final outcome. Offaly have lost two well contested matches so far and should go one better here.

Laois v Down, Portlaoise – Laois – despite a disappointing result against Antrim in the Walsh Cup – will be expected to beat a Down side that will struggle to stay in this division.