Munster And Leinster Hurling Permutations Ahead Of Final Round

Ahead of this weekend's final round of the Munster and Leinster senior hurling championship round robin group stages, there are places in both provincial finals up for grabs, plus two games with huge jeopardy.

Kilkenny are assured of their spot in the Leinster final and Limerick are too barring a defeat to Clare, a Cork win and twenty-six point score difference swing.

Limerick will face already eliminated Clare in the TUS Gaelic Grounds this Sunday with Kilkenny travelling to face Wexford in Chadwicks Wexford Park. A disappointing campaign from Wexford so far means they are also out of the running in Leinster and even a surprise home win won't keep them in the championship.

The drama exists in the other two matches with Cork taking on Waterford in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in a do or die match.

A win for Cork over Waterford would guarantee them a place in the top two and a spot in the Munster hurling final; a draw would mean third place for Cork and Limerick would face Tipperary in the Munster final. Only a victory will be good enough for Waterford to get them through but they cannot make the Munster final regardless of other results.

In Leinster the permutations are a bit more clear cut.

At 2pm Galway will face Dublin in Parnell Park with the winner progressing to the Leinster final to face Kilkenny.

Should Galway win or draw with Dublin they will face Kilkenny in the Leinster final. If the Dubs manage to turn over Galway they will advance to another provincial final.

At the bottom of the table, Offaly will welcome Antrim to Glenisk O'Connor Park where the winner will play Liam MacCarthy hurling in 2026 with the loser playing Joe McDonagh hurling next year. A draw will see Offaly finish above Antrim due to their superior scoring difference. Only a win will be enough help Davy Fitzgerald's side avoid the drop.