For many GAA followers, myself included, the championship starts for real this weekend when Cork and Tipp meet in Thurles. This is the Munster hurling championship and this is the official start of the summer. And I anticipate fireworks too. This will not be the stroll in the park that some pundits expect for the home team, who are strong favourites on paper. Grass, however, is a different story. The Rebels travel with low expectations and this makes them dangerous.

So, where is this confidence I have in Cork coming from? It’s based on hunch and visual evidence. I happened to be in Cloyne a few weeks ago, one week before the first league final between Clare and Waterford, when Cork played the subsequent league champions to mark the opening of impressive new facilities at the home of Christy Ring (and Donal Óg). The game was noticeable for the aggression the home side showed throughout the 70 minutes. They beat a weakened Banner outfit but did it comprehensively and showed an appetite for the physical stuff.

That’s the attitude they need to bring to Semple Stadium and defensively they must play on the edge and not offer room to the lethal forward dangers Tipp will bring to the pitch. If they can do that, they have the scoring potential at the other end to match the defending Munster champions.

For Kieran Kingston and Diarmuid O’Sullivan to get a tune out of their side, they simply must have big games from Seamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan, Conor Lehane, Aidan Walsh, Christopher Joyce and Anthony Nash. Those are their six crucial men; after that the rest have to dominate as well!

The unexpected threat can also turn games like this. Alan Cadogan is eminently capable and if Cork can get him in the game early, taking on his man and beating him, this game is there for them.

Tipperary are probably the second best team in the country right now after Kilkenny. I last saw them sleep though a league quarter-final in Ennis when Clare caught them by a point thanks to some inexplicable misses from Seamus Callanan frees. They didn’t look too fired up that day but Sunday on their home patch in championship is an entirely different prospect.

They have class in every line of the field. From Barret to a few Mahers, from Bubbles to a few McGraths, it’s all there. There is a but, however, and it is in their difficulty in winning close matches. Whether it is true or not, there is an opinion out there that they are brittle in tight contests and it is beginning to follow them around.

So here they are again with a team good enough to win an All-Ireland. But if they are behind 10 minutes into the second half, the trepidation will sweep Thurles. Cork will sniff it. Only then will we find out if the latest additions like John McGrath, Ronan Maher and Michael Breen are good enough, in this their first full year of senior championship hurling. No pressure lads, but such is the weight of expectation in Tipperary.

There will be blood and more than likely just one puck of the ball between them. Instinct says Cork will pull off a shock this time out.

Dublin and Wexford clash in Croke Park on Saturday night in a tasty looking game as Liam Dunne’s side have confidence behind them. That makes them treacherous opposition for a Dublin side that looked decent in the league but are without their best forward of recent years in Danny Sutcliffe. His loss will only be truly felt in championship.

The Dubs are the pick but not before getting the fright of their lives from a Wexford team that are beginning to dominate underage in Leinster while retaining players like Conor McDonald and Lee Chin in their senior ranks. They will come again shortly; it just won’t be this Saturday night.

Football fixtures

In this weekend’s football action, Roscommon are surely chastened enough after their close call in New York to deal with a Leitrim side who as per usual hardly have 15 to bring to Carrick! The Rossies are not used to the levels of hype now surrounding them; this will be another test – one that can be traversed as ugly as they want for the result is all that matters here. And they will get it.

Kildare will apply the same logic to Wexford who might be pesky for 50-odd minutes but the Lilywhites will have enough to advance. Neither, however, can have very realistic ambitions to August and September.

Derry and Tyrone is the other headline act this Sunday and the winners will have an eye on the business end of the championship. The consensus is that it will be Tyrone because that old rascal Mickey Harte has come with another team and they look potent. It is only the greats that can win All-Irelands with two different sides – Harte belongs in that category. Celtic Park will offer its own challenges, however, because this is Ulster championship and the normal rules don’t apply. The Red Hand to win a high-scoring contest – about 0-11 to 0-09! CL

All eyes on Connacht

This weekend we have the semi-finals of the Guinness PRO12 and in truth Connacht are already the real winners of the competition whether they emerge successful in the knockout stages or not. Their journey to Champions Cup qualification and the last four of the PRO12 has been the good-news story of Irish rugby this year and on Saturday night the Sportsground will be rocking for the visit of Glasgow.

Connacht keep delivering for their supporters and the sold-out sign will be up again in Galway (none of the other three provinces have said that too often this season). We all know they thoroughly deserve to be in the final; let’s hope they have enough left in the tank.

Awaiting them should be Leinster who can turn an average year into a good finish by beating old friends Ulster in the RDS on Friday night. Sexton is fit again but both sides have a couple of serious absentees (let’s hope Tommy Bowe and Sean O’Brien are seen again soon enough in their provincial and national jerseys).

You get the feeling that this tournament has petered out in recent weeks and there must be a case to be made for shortening it. The attrition affecting every squad suggests players are being asked to play too many games. The semi-finals will see all four teams play their 23rd game in this domestic competition.

We won’t mind too much if Connacht are in the final next weekend in Murrayfield. That would be a fitting end to their campaign.