CLARE face Cork for the first time under Brian Lohan this weekend after this morning’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Round 2 Qualifier draw threw up an All-Munster encounter, writes Eoin Brennan.
The game takes place in LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick with throw-in at 4.30.
It’s the first time since 2019 that the counties have met in what was to be Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor’s last match in charge as the Banner bounced back from heavy losses to Tipperary and Limerick to overcome the Rebels in Cusack Park by 2-23 to 2-18.
Ironically, despite defeat, Cork would squeeze through to the All-Ireland series on score difference at the expense of Clare.
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More significantly for Clare, however, it halted a five match championship losing streak (including Munster Final reverses in 2017 and ’18) to the Rebels since the 2013 All-Ireland Final Replay.
A repeat of the 2017 All-Ireland decider will also take place this Saturday between Waterford and Galway, with the two qualifier winners set to face provincial losers Tipperary and Dublin seven days later.