Preview- Winless Kilkenny and Galway set for big Nowlan Park tussle
VERY CAMOGIE LEAGUE DIVISION 1A- Kilkenny v Galway, UPMC Nowlan Park, 3pm.
After a scintillating opening to the Very Camogie League that saw Clare defeat All-Ireland champions Kilkenny by 2-7 to 0-11 at Cusack Park, less than 24 hours after Tipperary had beaten Division 1A titleholders Galway by 4-9 to 1-9, there is a considerable amount at stake when the Cats cross swords with the Tribeswomen at UPMC Nowlan Park in round two.
It has been ten years since one or other of these teams has not taken the spring-time honours, with Cork, who strolled to a 3-17 to 0-5 victory over Dublin at MTU Cork last weekend, claimed their 16th title in 2013 and the 2020 competition falling foul of Covid-19 with an unfortunate Tipperary already booked for a final spot at the expense of Galway.
There is still, of course, a strong possibility of one of these superpowers still prevailing but it will certainly be a tough mountain to climb if there is a loser in Kilkenny, with three games remaining.
Even without the context of where they lie after their first-round losses, this is one to look forward to because of the wonderful rivalry between the sides over the years that has provided us with countless feasts of entertainment.
They drew in one of the best games you could ever wish to see in the round-robin stages of the Championship in Athenry last year while Kilkenny edged the All-Ireland semi-final subsequently and succeeded the Maroons as champs.
Galway are down a lot of players but Cathal Murray has a history of rewarding League form come the summer. Kilkenny have most of the big names around but looked like they would improve for the run, to use a horseracing term.
Wherever they are at this early juncture of the season, these teams can still call upon far too many competitors for this to be anything but a fiercely-fought affair.
Kilkenny team to face Galway- Emma Kavanagh (Rower-Inistioge); Michelle Teehan (James Stephens), Grace Walsh (Tullaroan), Ciara Phelan (Dicksboro); Steffi Fitzgerald (Young Irelands), Niamh Deely (James Stephens), Tiffanie Fitzgerald (Young Irelands); Denise Gaule (Windgap), Aoife Prendergast (Dicksboro); Julianne Malone (Mullinavat), Katie Power (Piltown), Michaela Kenneally (Windgap); Sophie O'Dwyer (James Stephens), Miriam Walsh (Tullaroan), Jenny Clifford (Dicksboro).