Dónal Óg Cusack's hurling predictions

This weekend, sensible people all over Ireland will take a nice long walk tomorrow morning, get the exercise out of the way early and then spend the rest of Saturday and Sunday watching hurling.

Like a good action movie, there's not been a dull moment in the championship so far but we're getting to the part of the plot that decides which part of the cast won't be appearing in the final scenes and we might be losing some beloved characters soon.

Speaking of which, the Rebels have played two and lost two. Cork desperately need two points but they must go to Walsh Park in Waterford to get them.

Waterford have one win and one loss so far. They need those two points almost as badly.

Surely Cork won't go down without a fight but given the evidence of recent weeks and the league final between the pair, it will be a significant plot twist if, on Sunday evening, Cork returned over the Youghal bridge with a chance of getting out of Munster.

In the other big game in the province, Limerick take the short hop across to Ennis to play Clare. Limerick are having a season where the sun never sets without some new injury or drama to report.

They know Cusack Park will feel like half of the county of Clare jam-packed in for the blood and thunder.

Brian Lohan, the Clare manager, was about as soft as granite when he played and his team have the same flinty look about them.

But recently Limerick thrive on challenges like this. They were once upstarts themselves and they know how important it is to quell any upstart risings before they catch on.

They should get out with their unbeaten record intact.

In Leinster, there are three games, one big and two not so big unless you must play in one of them.

At the top of the bill, Kilkenny travel to Parnell Park to