Weekend hurling previews

This weekend's hurling matches.

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All-Ireland SHC Qualifiers - Round Three

Galway v Westmeath

Pearse Stadium, 7pm

Having tripped over the group's major obstacle, Galway have to complete the formalities of qualification here. Conor Hayes is using the opportunity to make five changes including a debut for Portumna's Eoin Lynch, whose second-half display in the club final helped subdue the rampant Jerry O'Connor. Westmeath lost their summit to Laois and will hope to finish an encouraging campaign without too much trauma.

GALWAY: L Donoghue; D Joyce, T Regan, O Canning; D Hardiman, S Kavanagh, G Mahon; F Healy, E Lynch; C Connolly, D Forde, D Tierney; Damien Hayes, G Farragher, N Healy.

WESTMEATH: TBC

Laois v Waterford

Portlaoise, 3.45pm

Signs of a recovery of form last week with Eoin Kelly's return and a beefed up display. With the points in the bag here, Justin McCarthy's side can eye up their enhanced prospects of reaching this year's All-Ireland semi-finals. Laois pulled out of the season's tail spin by beating Westmeath, enabling themselves to benefit from their own motion to congress reducing the relegation play-off to a match between the two bottom teams.

LAOIS: P Mullaney; B Campion, Pakie Cuddy, J Walsh; C Healy, P Mahon, M McEvoy; J Phelan, J Fitzpatrick; T Fitzgerald, J Young, S Dollard; D Culleton, M Rooney, D Carter.

WATERFORD: TBC

Clare v Offaly

Cusack Park, 7.30pm

Those point opportunities in Nowlan Park must seem all the more agonising for John McIntyre and his team. Had they reached last week's Leinster final the consequent place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals would have represented real progress.

Instead, it looks as if they'll merely hold ninth place in hurling's pecking order, a disappointment sharpened by the ease with which Limerick eventually put them away last week.

McIntyre swings the axe for the visit to Ennis with four changes, but Clare will do the real damage.

CLARE: TBC.

OFFALY: S O'Connor; K Brady, P Cleary, B O'Meara; D Tanner, R Hanniffy, G Oakley; M Cordial, D Hoctor; D Hayden, G Hanniffy, M O'Hara; J Bergin, J Brady, B Murphy.

Limerick v Dublin

Gaelic Grounds, 7.30pm

Limerick's travails a couple of weeks ago must have encouraged Dublin to dream of avoiding bottom spot, but that brief glimmer has been extinguished.

Tommy Naughton will have been disappointed not to have put up a better challenge to Clare last week, but this is a chance to make amends and go into the play-off with Westmeath in good spirits.

LIMERICK: B Murray; D Reale, T Ryan, S Hickey; W Walshe, P O'Dwyer, M Foley; B Foley, M O'Brien; N Moran, D O'Grady, C Fitzgerald; D Ryan, B Begley, A O'Shaughnessy.

DUBLIN: G Maguire; G O'Meara, K Ryan, P Brennan; M Carton, R Fallon, T Brady; S McDonnell, D Sweeney; J McCaffrey, L Ryan, D Curtin; A McCrabbe, K Flynn, P Carton.

WeekendHurling

Seán Moran