Champions Galway face old foes Kilkenny

Defending champions Galway and old rivals Kilkenny clash in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship semi-finals on Saturday in Croke Park (5.30pm ).

This Galway v Kilkenny fixture is the second of the semi-finals, and will be preceded by Cork v Waterford at 3.15pm - the first time Waterford have made it to this stage of the competition.

Games between these two sides have always been tight affairs, and this is a repeat of the 2020 All Ireland final which Kilkenny edged by three points to bag their 14th crown.

Saturday's fixture is expected to be just as competitive with the two sides having playing out an exciting draw in group two earlier this month - Galway taking top spot in the table by virtue of score difference.

On that occasion Kilkenny trailed by four points at half-time before a Miriam Walsh's second goal and a point moved them ahead. However, Catherine Finnerty equalised to snatch the semi-final position at the death.

Kilkenny will look again to Denise Gaule and Walsh, while Galway, although without Rebecca Hennelly and Orlaith McGrath due to a cruciate ligament injury, has trusted servants in Carrie Dolan, Niamh Kilkenny, Aoife Donoghue Aislish O'Reill, Niamh Hanniffy and Sabina Rabbitte, who are all capable of providing the necessary scores against Kilkenny.

En route to this semi-final, Galway have produced wins over Limerick (4-11 to 1-8 ), Offaly (2-12 to 1-6 ), Down (3-23 to 0-6 ), Antrim (2-17 to 0-6 ), and a draw with Kilkenny (1-17 to 2-14 ) - scoring on average 2.17 a game.

Opponents Kilkenny, also unbeaten, have a similar scoring average, and will take some monitoring, particularly the likes of leading scorer Denise Gaule, along with Miriam Walsh, Katie Nolan, Julieann Malone, and Mary O'Connell.

Both teams will go into the contest with confidence, and as always between these two great sides, it expected to be close.

 

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