Hurlers head for Mullingar while footballers must duel with Longford

Having had a week off from competitive action, the Tipperary senior hurlers are readying themselves for a rare trip to Mullingar on Saturday in the Allianz National Hurling Legaue where they will face bottom of the table Westmeath in a game which is expected to yield another two points.

The panel played Dublin in what has been described as a very useful friendly at the weekend with a number of fringe players getting the opportunity to show what they can do. And, it could well be that a few of themwill be drafted in the panel for the game on Saturday with a possibility that captain Seamus Callanan might also make a return after a back injury.

JK Brackens attacker Andrew Ormonde has been in impressive form according to reports, and he might well make the squad for the journey to Mullingar, while Roscrea's Alan Tynan could also make his way into the matchday party to make his debut with the senior team.

While the hurlers have secured four points from the three outings to date, another two gathered up in Mullingar would leave them in a very strong position as they head to Waterford for the final game of the league on Sunday, June 13.

That's also the day that the Tipperary footballers will play, perhaps their most important game in a number of years, when they face Longford in a division 3 relegation play-off away in Longford - in keeping with the luck of the side this season, they lost the toss for home advanteg too. Having lost to Limerick and Offaly, Tipp are out of the promotion hunt and into the relegation dog fight - for the Munster champions to drop back to division 4 of the league would be a real disaster for David Power, his management team and his charges.

The panel has been luckless in recent weeks with injury upon injury befelling them as they bade to navigate their way through the league. And, they arrive at this juncture with the championship on the horizon, knowing that they cannot now take their eye of the league clash - as Power said that the weekend, this game is now their All-Ireland Final.

Elsewhere the Tipperary camogie ladies qualified for the league semi-final and play against Offaly this weekend but they will have to do so without the injured Clodagh Quirke - it has been confirmed that the Clonoulty Rossmore star has suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury and requires surgery to repair the damage, thereby ruling her out for the rest of the season.