Chris Crummey returns as one of a few changes to Dublin’s starting 15 for League Quarter Final in Thurles
Tipperary v Dublin
Saturday, March 16th. 4:30pm
Semple Stadium, Thurles
The same League Hurling Quarter Final pairing from last year with a different venue. And Dublin will be hoping to fair better than the eleven point defeat to Tipperary twelve months ago. In their eight league meetings this decade, the Premier County have had the upper hand five times, but Dublin have vastly improved even since the Quarter Final meeting last year. The boys in blue raced to an eight point lead that day, but Tipperary’s immense attacking power over ran Dublin in the end to win comfortably.
On the surface, Dublin have performed substantially better since the arrival of Mattie Kenny and his back room team. And there’s definitely more a sense of consistency from this League campaign, with Dublin comfortably winning four of their five round games, including a character building victory over Waterford in Parnell Park in Round 4. The challenge tomorrow is can Mattie Kenny’s side bring a similar performance to ‘the home of hurling’? Our guess is they absolutely can, and we expect tomorrow to be a much closer contest than many are suggesting. Yes Tipperary looked impressive in last week’s win over Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn, and they’ll certainly feel more in the driving seat at home, but this is a huge opportunity for Dublin to see exactly where they are ahead of the 2019 Championship
Crummey, O’Connell, Sean Treacy, O’Rorke and Dillon will start.
The Dublin boss has made a number of changes to the starting 15 that from their last fixture. Chris Crummey returns to the starting 15 after being replaced by James Madden in the last round game against Laois. Shane Barrett makes way for Darragh O’Connell in the half back line. Sean Treacy will partner Rian McBride in Midfield, with Jake Malone moving into the half forwards instead of David Treacy. And Oisin O’Rorke and Eamonn Dillon return as starters in place of Paul Ryan and Donal Burke.
Dublin Starting XV (v Tipperary)
1. Alan Nolan – St. Brigids
2. Paddy Smyth – Clontarf
3. Eoghan O’Donnell – Whitehall Colmcille
4. Daire Gray – Whitehall Colmcille
5. Chris Crummey – Lucan Sarsfields
6. Seán Moran – Cuala
7. Darragh O’Connell – Cuala
8. Rian McBride – St. Vincents
9. Seán Treacy – Cuala
10. Jake Malone – Cuala
11. John Hetherton – St. Vincents
12. Danny Sutcliffe – St. Judes
13. Oisín O’Rourke – Kilmacud Crokes
14. Liam Rushe – St. Patricks Palmerstown
15. Eamonn Dillon – Naomh Fionnbarra