Galway set to take most from the day

Kilkenny v Galway Gaelic Grounds, 2.00

Kilkenny v Galway Gaelic Grounds, 2.00

Tipperary v Clare Gaelic Grounds, 3.30

Even if we accept the bona fides of Clare and Tipperary in the second semi-final, the opening fixture looks more promising, as it hard to see how two counties about to meet in the championship in five weeks could give a league semi-final their full attention.

But Galway are dependent on these spring runs if they are to establish any rhythm for the summer - particularly in these days of All-Ireland quarter-finals. Maybe the championship didn't work out well three years ago after Galway won the league, but it was as good as they got since reaching the 1993 final.

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Kilkenny have a tradition of self-confidence which means that despite the subsequent horror-shows of 1990 and '95, the county isn't at all inhibited about its ability to add championship success to a league title.

In many ways, Kilkenny are a work in progress which has been obscured by the constant chopping and changing at management level. From the low-point of being murdered by Offaly in the Leinster final four years ago, their graph has been up. Chronic injuries may have helped them to a first-round defeat in 1996 but that year and the years since have seen the county eliminated by the eventual All-Ireland winners.

Brian Cody's management has been low-key but effective. He has uncovered or at least promoted one formidable-looking talent and will keep his fingers crossed as Fitzgibbon Cup-driven fitness levels become less of an advantage to Henry Shefflin that the young forward can maintain the smooth trajectory of a burgeoning career.

Midfield remains open as the Philip Larkin-Andy Comerford partnership has only just been re-united. Newcomers will be tested tomorrow with Shefflin marked by Brian Feeney and Eamonn Kennedy facing Cathal Moore.

It is in the forwards that Galway are likely to have an advantage. The injury-enforced absence of DJ Carey the possibility that Charlie Carter might also be indisposed diminishes Kilkenny's threat. Galway have been moving smoothly and get the vote.

Clare can win the other semi-final if they want. It should be remembered that last year's fiasco at this stage against Cork was not the result of an under-strength team being fielded but rather the disinclination of all concerned. The team named for tomorrow has enough experience and craft to survive the attentions of Tipperary but how interested are they? Tipperary, we can assume, are interested, but only to the extent that they don't overplay their hand before D-Day next month.

In Nicholas English's first year, they have had an encouraging campaign but without suggesting that long-term championship deliverance is at hand. Of the matches in Division One B, the one that presented the biggest test - against Kilkenny - proved beyond them. Fit and fast, they should look forward to the harder surfaces but are they sufficiently seasoned to withstand the harder challenges?

Tomorrow could make for telling commentaries on the summer prospects of Fergal Heaney and David Kennedy in defence, the combination of Declan Carr and Eddie Enright at midfield and the viability of Paul Shelley's conversion to full forward.

Clare are hesitantly taken to care enough to give it a go.

Galway - D Howe; P Kelly, B Feeney, L Hodgins; R Walsh, F Flynn, P Hardiman; L Burke, N Shaughnessy; A Kerins, C Moore, K Broderick; O Fahy, M Kerins, E Cloonan.

Kilkenny - J McGarry; J Butler, J Costello, W O'Connor; M Kavanagh, E Kennedy, P barry; P Larkin, A Comerford; PJ DElaney, D Byrne, B McEvoy; K O'Shea, H Shefflin, AN Other. CLARE - D Fitzgerald; E Flannery, B Lohan, F Lohan; L Doyle, S McMahon, A Daly; O Baker, C Lynch; D Forde, N Gilligan, J O'Connor; A Markham, R O'Hara, B Murphy.

Tipperary - B Cummins; D Fahy, F Heaney, L Sheedy; R Ryan, D Kennedy, E Corcoran; D Carr, E Enright; T Dunne, D Ryan, B O'Meara; L Cahill, P Shelley, D Browne.