PREVIEW: Big win and performance essential for Tipperary hurlers this Sunday

A series of fortunate events will need to happen this weekend for the Tipperary hurlers to advance to the Allianz Hurling League semi-finals, as they welcome Antrim to FBD Semple Stadium in their final group game this Sunday.

Three of the four places in the Division 1 semi-finals have been decided, with Cork, Wexford and Waterford securing the previous slots ahead of the final round on Sunday.

And, while Tipperary still have a chance of making the last four, a lot of results will have to go the way of Colm Bonner’s men if they are to have another game, as Tipperary would reach the last four if they beat Antrim, Waterford beat Kilkenny and Laois beat Dublin.

You can join the Tipperary Flying Column first march on this Saturday

You would get significantly high odds for that sequence of results to come to fruition, but Tipperary can only concentrate on themselves as they look to bounce back from successive defeats in what might be their final competitive game before the first round of the Munster championship against Waterford four weeks later.

There are plenty of question marks around performances and personnel ahead of Bonner’s championship bow in Walsh Park, but one thing that has been achieved by the Cashel man is the number of players who have been given time on the pitch in the league so far to date.

Bonner has given game time to 28 players over the four games played so far, and with form a worry and various positions up for grabs, there is still a lot of conjecture about how the team will line out when the white heat of championship fare rears up next month.

Before then, there is the matter of seeing out the league group stage on a positive note, which not only requires a win, but will need a performance to match as it will most likely be the last competitive game before Waterford, and so it will be interesting to see whether or not Bonner will line out as close to his championship team as possible.

It isn’t the fixture that will set pulses racing either way, as a win will undoubtedly be expected and not much will be garnered from a big or narrow win against an admittedly improving Antrim team.

Darren Gleeson has had good success in his time up north, and despite not registering any league wins in their previous games, they have been more than competitive, pushing Dublin, Kilkenny, and Waterford for the full 70 minutes, before disappointingly losing out to a late Cha Dwyer point against Laois.

Tipp will need to be wary of this but have had plenty of forewarning and will surely be coming close to championship pace as the heavy training tapers off coming up to April.

While there is obvious negatives with disjointed performances and losses - none more so than the Waterford loss in the previous round - there have been green shoots through the performances of Jake Morris, Mark Kehoe, Craig Morgan, and Conor Bowe, who are still young and developing, but look ready to make a big impact at this level.

Gearoid O’Connor is one player who has the potential to slot in in the half forward line which has struggled to date, and will surely get a chance in this game after a stellar Fitzgibbon Cup campaign with UL, while Noel McGrath has yet to start a game and will surely be eager to get a full game under his belt.

No doubt Bonner would have preferred more games to look at more combinations, but they need a good display on Sunday and might get the luck they need elsewhere to make it into semi-final action.

Tipperary village prepares for its first-ever St Patrick's Day parade on Friday