It's Senior Hurling Championship - Quarter Final weekend.

One weekend on from winning its first Minor All-Ireland since 1948, and its first All-Ireland in adult grades of hurling since 1992, hurling supporters in Waterford are facing another big few days this weekend with County Senior Hurling Championship quarter finals as well as the Relegation Play off Final also down for decision.

Up to now, in the main clubs had another chance to ensure that they reached the knockout stages of the championship if they were to loose a game, but from here on in, every club has to win, or at least settle for a share of the spoils or else there year is over.

Three of the quarter final games are down to be played at Fraher Field on Sunday afternoon, with the other going ahead on Saturday evening at Walsh Park while Kill will host this years relegation play off final.

There can be little disputing that game of the weekend is likely to be played at Walsh Park on Saturday evening, when two of the city giants, the 2011 champions Ballygunner take on the 2012 champions De La Salle.

Over the past few years, these two sides have met on a number of occasions in knockout games where an interesting pattern seems to be coming into play.

In 2009, De La Salle went into that game as County Champions, having won their first ever County and Munster title twelve months previously.

The two clashed at the unusual venue of Fraher Field (the two usually meet at Walsh Park), and the two fought out a draw, in a game that John Mullane was sent off for De La Salle.  When the sides clashed for the second time at the same venue, it was the challengers that came out on top, winning 1-19 to 1-16, with Ballygunner going on a few weeks later to lift the Waterford News and Star Cup.

Twelve months later, the two met in Walsh Park and it was De La Salle that came out on top. This time they clashed in the County Final. De La Salle on the day proved to be the stronger of the two sides, winning 3-13 to 1-11.

In 2011, the sides again clashed in the knockout stages of the championship, this time at the semi final stages, and again the then reigning champions went out of the championship as Ballygunner won 2-10 to 0-11.

This year, De La Salle despite slipping up against Tallow last time out qualified for the knockout stages of the championship with some ease, while Ballygunner did not have it all their own way and had to ensure that they beat Dungarvan and Passage in their last two games in the group stages to qualify.

Could we see recent trends continue and see the Champions go crashing out of the championship this weekend? The bookies don’t seem to thing it will happen.

Both sides have some good players. Both have built up their team from great underage teams. Both have very experienced players, with current and former inter county players at all grades involved with both sides. However, De La Salle having appeared in three of the last five Munster Club Final’s could prove to be the more experienced of the two sides, and therefore get the vote to win here.

The first of three games at Fraher Field on Sunday sees Mount Sion take on Tallow.

Like the game between Ballygunner and De La Salle on Saturday evening, there is some recent history between these two sides.

They have clashed three times since 2009 and in that time, results between the two could not be divided more evenly.

In 2010, when the sides met, Tallow came out on top on a 3-10 to 0-16 score line and twelve months later the two sides had to settle for a share of the spoils, drawing 2-17 to 3-14 and in their most recent meeting which came last year, it was Mount Sion that came out on top winning 2-15 to 0-15.

Many would be forgiven for thinking that this game could well prove to a ‘one way traffic’ game. Mount Sion to many will go into the game as favourites, having had a good league campaign in the earlier stages of the competition at their backs, but they go into this game minus the services of three or four of their senior panel and over the past few weeks they have been forced to call up members of their intermediate panel to fill the voids left by those that are set to miss the game.

Tallow are never a push over side. OK, last year they may have not had the best of times, twelve months after appearing in a county final against Ballygunner, but this year they have played much better, and you cant but feel that they can still step up a gear or two.

The Bride-siders will go into the game as the underdog, and they won’t feel much weight on their shoulders. They have some very good players within their ranks who can mix it with anyone. The losses that Mount Sion has suffered throughout the championship are big ones. It remains to be seen will they stick to playing players that have come up from the intermediate ranks or will they maybe decided to bring some players who were part of their senior panel into their plans and if they do will they be up to the speed of the game needed for this level of competition. Tallow gets a very hesitant vote to win here, but it could well prove to be very close.

The second game at Fraher Field on Sunday afternoon sees Ballyduff take on Passage.

The meetings between these two sides in the last few years have been somewhat rare. In the last four years, there has only been one occasion when the two sides clashed, that coming last year when Passage won 1-13 to 0-15.

Both sides are through to this stage of the competition on merit.

Ballyduff last year were involved in a relegation play off with Dunhill, but they have turned things around this year, and have qualified even without Stephen Molumphy and Adrian Power playing all their games while Brendan Hannon who has served the club well over the last number of years have started most of their games amongst the subs.

They have seen the likes of inter county minors Mikey Kearney and Cian Leamy as well as the likes of the Kearney’s and Kevin Casey play some good hurling this year while the Molumphy’s and Feeney’s continue to be vital to the club.

Passage went into the last round of games in the league section of group two topping the group but lost out on top spot after loosing to near neighbours and rivals Ballygunner in the last round of league games.

Within their ranks they have some many fine players. Noel Connors and Eoin Kelly are without doubt their most vital players, but there appears to be some doubts as to whether Eoin Kelly will start this game having picked up an injury in the game with Ballygunner which forced him off early.

While Connors and Kelly are vital to Passage, they do not rely on them entirely as the likes of Mark Wyse and Killian Fitzgerald have had good years and won a place in Michael Ryan’s plans with Waterford over the past twelve months.

Under Peter Queally, they have played some good hurling this year and will feel confident going into this game.

This like all other games this weekend is a game that could well go to the wire. Passage are getting my nod to advance to the last four but don’t be too surprised if it was the Western village side that were to advance.

The final quarter final game of the weekend sees the all west meeting of Abbeyside and Fourmilewater.

This is the game that could attract the greatest level of support both from the two clubs and from neutrals over the weekend as on paper, nothing separates the sides.

Abbeyside are going into this game in a rich vein of form. They have in their last two games put up a very impressive score past Roanmore and last time out they beat near neighbours Dungarvan in a must win game for both sides to ensure that they qualified for this weekends action.

Patrick Hurney is in recent weeks has struck a rich veil of forum and they will be hoping that he carried this form into this game. If he does play as well as he has being in this game, then he will be a handful to the Fourmilewater defence, and it will be interesting to see will they get Liam Lawlor to follow him where he goes. If this happens then it will be interesting to see will Patrick Hurney pull Liam Lawlor away from the central positions on the field where he is often at his best. Another option for Fourmilewater would be to put Thomas O’Gorman, a terrific man marker on him.

If Fourmilewater were to pay particular attention to Patrick Hurney, would that in turn maybe allow another of their forwards to be their most crucial player when it comes to racking up a good tally on the score sheet.

Fourmilewater have had their problems all year with players missing. Both Shane Walsh and Thomas O’Gorman have missed their share of games this year with injuries and Jamie Barron has had to serve a suspension as a result of a sending off against Tallow earlier in the competition.

However, as we reach the business end of the competition, we have seen them all return back to action and they have also been including Richie Fenton in their line out in recent games.

Add in inter county minor star Conor Gleeson, former inter county player Brian Wall, the Lawlor’s Diarmuid Wall, Justin Walsh, Rory Rice etc. and you quickly realise that Fourmilewater have a very good base to pick from.

The sides have met twice in the championship since 2009 and on both occasion victory has gone to Fourmilewater.  If they can field what would be their first choice team in this game, they would have to be fancied to make it three wins from three games since ’09, but Abbeyside’s chances cannot be dispelled.

The relegation play off involving An Rinn and Roanmore takes place at Kill on Saturday afternoon.

This just like the quarter final games this weekend, is one that could well go either way.

Roanmore have struggled with injury this year with Gavin O’Brien in particular missing a lot of their games.

His importance to the city side cannot be spelt out enough and the word coming from the city is that despite the fact that he may not be fully fit, Roanmore are going to take a gamble and play Gavin O’Brien from the off in this game in the hope that it will help them retain their senior status.

An Rinn last year won the Western and County Intermediate County Finals in some style. However over the winter months, the strange decision was taken along the line to have Peter Power who helped them win both competitions only months earlier not involved this year. As a result An Rinn’s hurling is not as crisp this year as it was last year.

They too have had their injury problems in recent months. Donie and Christy Breathnach are out injured now with some while now for An Rinn and their loss is a massive blow.

Roanmore go into this game with the bigger questions to ask of themselves. An Rinn know that they are minus the Breathnach brothers and will be planning without them all along.

Roanmore on the other hand if suggestions are true that Gavin O’Brien could play in this game will be asking themselves, will they start him, or will they leave it till the second half to maybe introduce him. If he starts and had to go off will it be a bigger blow than not having him available at all.

If they hold the Inter County player in reserve and send him on, and they don’t win, will they be asking themselves then would things be different if he had introduced him earlier.

Despite leaving seven goals past them in their last game against Lismore, An Rinn will take great hope from that game going into this game as they hit nineteen points, a tally that would win most matches.

The side from the West get a tentative vote to survive in the senior ranks for another year, but it could well prove to be very close.

 

 

Weekend Fixtures:

Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final – Ballygunner V De La Salle in Walsh Park on Saturday at 5-30pm

Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final – Tallow V Mount Sion in Fraher Field on Sunday at 1-30pm

Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final – Ballyduff Upper V Passage in Fraher Field on Sunday at 3pm

Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final – Abbeyside V Fourmilewater in Fraher Field on Sunday at 6pm

Senior Hurling Championship Relegation Play Off Final – An Rinn V Roanmore in Kill on Saturday at 3pm.