Allianz Hurling League...

SATURDAY 8 MARCH

Allianz Hurling League Division 1A

Limerick v Galway, TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 7.30pm

Division 1B

Dublin v Carlow, Parnell Park, Dublin, 6pm

Division 2

Derry v Meath, Celtic Park, 4pm
Kildare v Tyrone, Cedral St Conleth's, Newbridge, 3pm

Division 3

Roscommon v Cavan, King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, 2pm
London v Sligo, McGovern Park, Ruislip 1pm

Division 4

Monaghan v Lancashire, Inniskeen, 2pm
Fermanagh v Leitrim, Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 2pm
Louth v Longford, Páirc Naomh Bríd, Dowdallshill, 2pm

SUNDAY

Division 1A

Kilkenny v Tipperary, UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, 1.15pm
Clare v Cork, Cusack Park, Ennis 3.15pm

Division 1B

Westmeath v Waterford, TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2pm
Antrim v Laois, Corrigan Park, 1pm

Division 2

Kerry v Down, Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 1pm

Division 3

Armagh v Mayo, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh 1pm

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WEATHER

Saturday: Scattered showers and occasional sunny spells, with most of the showers occurring in the south and west and some turning heavy. Temperatures reaching 11 to 15 degrees, in light to moderate easterly winds. Sunday: Current indications are for a dry and mild day, with sunny spells. Highest temperatures of 10 to 15 degrees with light to moderate east to northeast winds.

For more go to met.ie.

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Division 1A - Banner still standing

The All-Ireland and league champions finally got on the board with victory at the Gaelic Grounds last weekend - a spicier than usual clash for this time of year between two bitter rivals.

Clare can take another step towards survival in the top tier with victory in Ennis on Sunday, when they face the Cork side that they pipped by a solitary point to Liam MacCarthy last summer.

If Clare can't back up the vast improvement they showed to beat Limerick, they will be relying on Galway to have done them a favour against the Treaty on Saturday night.

Manager Brian Lohan praised Jack O'Neill and Seán Rynne, late additions to the team that ended a three-game losing streak, and on the loss of Hurler of the Year Shane O'Donnell for the year with shoulder surgery, said: "The group has been used to missing some marquee guys, We were missing Ryan Taylor and Tony Kelly for most of last year, it is unfortunate that we are going to be missing Shane now so it puts the responsibility on everybody else".

The Rebels bounced back from defeat to Tipperary by holding off Kilkenny on an emotionally charged night at Páirc Ui Chaoimh when half-forward Diarmuid Healy scored 1-05 on his first start.

Captain Rob Downey also returned from injury and Pat Ryan's side are approaching full strength as they contend for a spot in the final.

However, they have failed to beat Clare in the last six attempts and a first win at what is now Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg will be hard-earned given playing their opponents' situation.

Against Galway, Limerick will be without Diarmaid Byrnes, somewhat harshly sent off given Tony Kelly and Mike Casey earned a joint total of one yellow card (for the Clare man) for catching opponents in the head with their hurls.

John Kiely won't be sounding the alarm over the first loss of the year. Limerick only had 11 of the 20 players who saw action in last year's Munster final available and missed six goal chances last weekend.

Tom Morrissey might be in the frame to start after making his first appearance of the season off the bench, while Peter Casey and Declan Hannon could come back into the squad.

Galway have gone from looking nailed-on for the drop after week one to final contenders.

Hanging on to beat Wexford by two points might have been less impressive than the victories over Kilkenny and Clare but it was against a Yellowbellies outfit who were at home and fighting for survival.

Anthony Burns got this third goal in just over 130 minutes of league action and is among the new players giving Micheál Donoghue food for thought ahead of championship next month.

Wexford, on bye this week, are also hoping Limerick don't win or they will be relegated even before going to the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday week.

Old foes Kilkenny and Tipp meet at Nowlan Park in the early throw-in on Sunday.

Derek Lyng's hosts have had an inconsistent campaign so far but victory would put them in the running to make a third consecutive league decider.

Defeat could mean needing a result against Limerick to rule out relegation in their final match, which has been rescheduled for 15 March.

Tipp have made an impressive start in the wake of their dismal 2024 championship, beating everyone except the Munster kingpins, while blooding youngsters like Dylan Walsh, Darragh McCarthy, Sean Kennelly and Sam O'Farrell.

"Ultimately, the performances last year were not good enough from players. We challenged each other through the winter to get better every single day and in that regard lads are putting themselves forward, doing that every single week."

TJ Reid made his first appearance of the year as a late sub against Cork but Cats fans will be hoping for a sight of Richie Reid, Adrian Mullen and John Donnelly .

Division 1B

Offaly have one foot in the top flight after battling past Westmeath last weekend and preserving their unbeaten record.

They are off this weekend while the other contenders scrap for what increasingly looks like the sole remaining promotion-final place.

Dublin's fate is out of their hands after they lost a man and a five-point lead to lose in Walsh Park last Sunday.

Dublin manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin said afterwards: "We're realistically not in the mix for promotion, I think. We treated this as a knockout game."

They still have a slim chance but would need to start by beating a Carlow team who are still undefeated, having coughed up a late equalising goal against Antrim last day out.

Cian O'Sullivan (above) is suspended after scoring two goals and being sent off against the Déise.

The Scallion Eaters could still catch Offaly if they win or even draw for a third time on this tricky trip, win the refixture with Laois and the final round match against Westmeath.

Waterford can tighten their grip on second place if they inflict a fifth successive defeat on the Lake men.

Antrim play their final game at home to Laois, and though the draw in Carlow gives them a little wiggle room, defeat would mean relegation, which was not part of the plan when Davy Fitzgerald was appointed manager.

The game has been switched from Ballycastle to Corrigan Park, so often a fortress for Antrim, but reports during the week suggested a virus had affected many members of the panel.

In Division 2, Down could confirm their place in the final and 1B next year by Sunday afternoon.

Second-place Kildare can take a big step towards joining them when they host winless Tyrone while Down are travelling to Kerry, who have lost control of their own destiny after two defeats but could stay in the hunt.

A Meath win away to Derry would also keep them in contention, having only played three games. That would set up a winner-stays-up meeting between the Oak Leaf County and neighbours Donegal in round seven.

Division 3

London stayed top of Division 3 despite having last week off and will be confident of making it five wins from five against pointless Sligo.

Mayo can establish a two-point advantage over fellow promotion-chasers Wicklow ahead of their final-round showdown if they win in Armagh, who host the Exiles on 22 March.

Cavan can keep the pressure on those two with a result in King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park but a victory for the hosts could make next week's refixture between Cavan and Armagh crucial.

Division 4