Galway's true worth set to become apparent

Mostly Hurling:Tipperary will pose a very stern test for Galway, while Cork should end Antrim's run, writes JOHN ALLEN

AND NOW there are six. We didn’t expect Antrim to make it this far but here they are. But there aren’t any other surprises at this quarter- final stage. Pre-season, the only position up for debate was what team would make it out of strand three to join the four in strand two and the lone team at the top.

Kilkenny, though are still strong favourites. We’ve heard all the theories over the past while . . . they’d beat the pick of the remaining teams . . . they’re waiting for another game against Tipp to prove beyond reasonable doubt they weren’t just lucky last year . . .

They’d love to beat the other superpowers – maybe that should read former superpowers (Cork and Tipp) – on their way to making hurling history.

Their second 15 are the second best team in the country.

Whatever about the theories, the fact still remains, as of now, Kilkenny are the champions and there isn’t enough evidence gathered yet this year for us to suggest any different outcome this September. We need to be confident we have sufficient conclusive evidence. It should stand up to full and thorough scrutiny. We await further developments this Sunday.

So what about the four sides playing this weekend?

Well Antrim are the surprise packet but it would be a major surprise if they win this one. The last time the teams met in a quarter-final in 2004, Antrim manager Dinny Cahill forecast the impending demise of Cork’s Brian Corcoran and Niall McCarthy.

The rather outrageous tabloid headlines made it on to the Rebels’ dressingroom wall on match day. Antrim finished second that afternoon by a significant amount.

The northerners would, no doubt, rather come in under the radar this time, as they will. But they still will probably find the going tough against a Cork side which will contain a number of players who know it’s probably last chance saloon for them in terms of making it on to future first XVs.

Antrim, though, might find themselves before some regulator or other facing insider trading charges. They have former Cork physical trainer Jerry Wallace in their corner. He spent the last seven years with the Leesiders and knows the players inside out. This will be a decided advantage to the Ulster side but probably not enough for them to emerge victorious.

Tradition and history can be very difficult to break. Unfortunately for Antrim, those abstractions are firmly with Cork.

However, Cork might need a regulator or two themselves to solve their forward dilemma. One point from play from the forwards in the starting 15 over the 90 minutes last Saturday in Thurles is a damning statistic.

The inability to convert chances is also an indictable offence. The number of wides in both games doesn’t make for interesting reading either. The forward work-rate is also questionable. Whether the best 15 is starting is also debatable again this weekend.

If there was ever a time for Antrim to have a chance it’s Sunday but all the variables will have to fall for them and that’s probably not likely to happen.

The main event though features National League champions Galway and a Tipperary team that aren’t a settled side and it’s a dangerous time of the year not to be sure of your starting 15.

Last year’s very impressive All Star full back Pádraig Maher is suffering a little from second season syndrome, or maybe unreasonable expectations from an impatient Tipp public. Midfielder Shane McGrath has been one of their most impressive players in Liam Sheedy’s reign but found himself at centre forward last Sunday, not an encouraging sign.

Impressive and goalscoring forward of last year Séamus Callanan is suffering a bit of a loss of form.

Their back sextet has been changed for all of their three championship games.

But, on the positive side, their full-forward line has the potential to be match winners. It was Eoin Kelly last Sunday, Lar Corbett the previous weekend and Noel McGrath’s scoring ability is beyond doubt.

The team’s combined wide count against Wexford and Offaly was only 14.

They have the decided advantage of having played a game last weekend so the management should be reasonably sure the best 15 in-form players will start on Sunday.

What about Galway?

Is our opinion of their league final second -half performance exaggerated, given how mediocre Cork have been in their games against Waterford? Or are they as poor as they were in the second half of the Leinster final against Kilkenny?

Or is it fair to be comparing any team with that wonderful history-making team? Probably not, but the fact remains Galway are still in the chasing pack but have to overcome very stiff opposition first if they want a rematch.

They need to curb their tendency to fade out of games.

Last year they seemed to have Waterford beaten when they began to overelaborate and subsequently lost the game. They did the same against Offaly the first day and were lucky to survive.

At half-time they were only three points behind against Kilkenny in the Leinster final and while they only lost by seven, their play deteriorated considerably in the second half.

Is there an over-reliance on Joe Canning and Damian Hayes to do most of the scoring? Can their full-back line limit their potentially lethal opponents?

This has the makings of thriller.

The bookies are favouring Liam Sheedy’s charges and who are we to disagree with their assessment?