Camogie- Unbeaten Kilkenny eye up All-Ireland semi-final spot

While most Kilkenny eyes will be on the All-Ireland hurling final with Limerick this weekend there is also the small matter of a big camogie game on Saturday as the Cats take on Dublin in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior quarter-final in Semple Stadium.

The game forms the second part of a double header with Waterford and Limerick colliding beforehand.

The all-Leinster affair will be a repeat of the provincial decider where Kilkenny ran out comprehensive 5-11 to 0-12 winners with Miriam Walsh, Aoife Doyle and Katie Power netting the goals for Brian Dowling’s side.

Kilkenny claimed that Leinster title on the back of earlier wins over Wexford and Offaly. After going through the entire league and championship unbeaten thus far, they are in decent shape ahead of the trip to Tipperary.

Kilkenny raced through their senior championship group with wins over Limerick, Offaly, Antrim and Down and they were only denied an automatic All-Ireland semi-final place by virtue of scoring difference when drawing against defending All-Ireland champions Galway.

Dublin have rebounded well from the Leinster final defeat. Pitted in a group that included the likes of Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, Wexford and Clare they emerged with great credit when finishing in third position.

Adrian O’Sullivan’s charges opened up their championship campaign with a victory over Waterford, a result which proved crucial in seeing them progress.

Draws with Tipperary and Clare came either side of a defeat to Cork before they concluded the group stage with a 4-14 to 2-11 victory away to Wexford.

Like Kilkenny their final position came down to scoring difference and their nine-point success over the Model County, coupled with Tipp’s one point victory over Cork, saw the Dubs finish ahead of the Premier County with Cork and Waterford claiming the top two spots.

Dublin will be hoping to build on the group stage and give Kilkenny a bigger challenge than they did in that Leinster final in Portlaoise.

Despite the Cats being in something of a period of transition as they line up without the likes of Davina Tobin, Collette Dormer, Meighan Farrell and Aoife and Kellyanne Doyle, they are still competing well with Katie Nolan, Miriam Bambrick, Steffi Fitzgerald, Tiffanie Fitzgerald and Laura Murphy stepping up to the mark alongside the experience of Denise Gaule, Miriam Walsh, Katie Power, Claire Phelan and Julieanne Malone.

That experience will be crucial on Saturday as Kilkenny aim to plot a way back to Croke Park, where they haven't been since relinquishing their All-Ireland title to Cork last August.

Kilkenny will be strong favourites to seal a last four place but, as Brian Dowling said after the Galway draw, they will certainly be taking nothing for granted.

“People are writing us off all year, we’re missing a lot of girls but I said to the lads inside, this is a new team now and it’s up to them to stand up,” he said.

“It’s Dublin in the quarter-final. That’ll be a massive test now but we’ll just have to get the bodies right and look forward to the quarter-final.”

Saturday’s game throws-in at 5.30pm and will be live on RTÉ 2 Television.

Cork and Galway await in the semi-finals and Kilkenny may feel they have unfinished business with both of them sides.

Expect Dublin to put up a decent show with the attacking duo of Aisling Maher and Aisling O’Neill leading the way but Kilkenny should have too many aces to fire and the Leinster champions should have enough to advance.