Sizzling Tipperary and Galway clash beckons as match ups are declared for a showdown

Only two sides will emerge from the cauldron of Limerick hurling HQ on Saturday afternoon where all the match planning and aching, tiring training sessions come into clear focus. Perform or die now on the big stage. Barely mid summer, and their won't be a ball pucked by county men in two big hurling strongholds from Saturday until next January. 

Four teams, two places in the All-Ireland Semi Finals at stake. Clare start as hot favourites to take down the lukewarm Dubs while Tipperary, surprisingly are the bookies call to beat a wounded Galway. 

Last night Liam Cahill and Henry Shefflin named their starting teams for the game and immediately the match took shape as the first chess pieces were lined up for slaughter. 

The Tipperary full forward line looks lethal. Seamie Callanan, the most powerful of poachers against the Galway defence this century, starts at full forward. Gearoid McInerney is his direct opponent on paper and on paper that favours Tipperary as the more experienced full back - Daithi Burke- is needed at six.

The change has potential for Galway to angle their attacking play but it just hasn't clicked yet across the defence, and the disappointing loss to Kilkenny for them in the Leinster final is fresh in their minds. Fintan Burke and Conor Cooney drop to the bench however many of the same positional positions are the same again suggesting that Henry Shefflin believes they need to just atone for the last day and right those wrongs.

He isn't moving the furniture or reinventing the wheel, it is simply go again for them but it remains to be seen if the pattern can finally become a definate shape and work for them by allowing the defence to unlock the attack with quality ball. It has worked so far against the looser Leinster teams like Westmeath but it hasn't against Kilkenny for example.

Too much Galway ball from defence seems to be driven so far towards the corner forward that it goes out for a line ball to the opposition before the corner forward can sprint to it. Again, they can still get it right and this is the first knockout game of the year for them.  

The worry for Galway is that if Callanan doesn't hit the goals the other two poachers in the corner forward positions might. Jake Morris and Mark Kehoe are both proven goalscorers, Kehoe went to town against a fragile and scared Offaly defence while Morris hit 2-4 against Clare in Munster and kept the championship form going as best he could. 

Those lines will decide the game as corner backs Jack Grealish and Darren Morrissey will need to hurl stormers to deny the goal hungry trio egged on from the sideline by Bevans and Cahill. Galway will have to cut out the supply and out muscle the likes of Tynan and Forde in the half forward line. 

At the other end it is a similiar story. Evan Niland and Conor Whelan are a lethal pair when they hit form. Kevin Cooney at full forward too will be blocky and difficult to mark. The trio are capable of racking up the points and getting inside what has proved a shaky Tipperary full back line so far that has never quite settled.

Michael Breen is still at full back, and has been there for the full year at this point, but has played with many corner backs at this stage of the year. Morgan, just back from a serious knee injury, limped off against Offaly and Johnny Ryan who hurled so well earlier in the year is listed amongst the subs.

Barrett and Eoghan Connolly hold the 2 and 4 jersies now and their performances will be key to how the game turns out. Barrett was sent off in Limerick against Galway a few years ago and Tipp missed out in the same venue the same day so he will hope to make amends as the veteran defender senses his time in the jersey slowly passing by.

Linnane and Mannion against McGrath and Stakelum will be a great tussle. The latter two had fathers that hurled against Galway back in the 1980s and no doubt that will pop up in conversation amongst the wider family this week. The space Noel McGrath had in the Munster championship allowed him the time to play as he chose so it remains to be seen if Galway can deny him this room to project, none have so far bar Waterford.

The subs bench is strong for both sides too. Niall O'Meara and John McGrath are names that pop out as potential matchwinners for Tipp while Galway can call on Conor Cooney and Jason Flynn if needed too. Henry Shefflin looked raging at the end of the Leinster final and he will be glad of a chance to bite back into the championship but will his team show that grit that is needed?

Will Tipperary forwards find the space again to beat on and go up another gear in the championship? It is a close one to call, Tipperary are the bookies favourites for this one but Galway surely will have a bite in them after losing another Leinster final. With the powerful forwards on show we could be in for another helter skelter end to end show. Sit back and enjoy the show.