Hurling Nation: Tough trips for big guns in Leinster

No matter how long you've deprived it of oxygen, hurling is a hardy flower, it always blooms. If we leave aside the GAAGO troubles, it's been a great week.

The Leinster Championship blossomed, Carlow are rising, Cork found long-lost Corkness, Offaly's charismatic Under- 20 side gave the Faithful their first win over Kilkenny at any grade since 2007 and over 8,000 people paid in to see it.

Leinster has taken a strange and unpredictable turn. With each team having played three games, not even the most dyed-in-the-wool Dub would have seen themselves topping the table.

This week, the theme in Leinster is the bigger counties travelling to uncomfortable places.

Kilkenny travel to Parnell Park. The Cats are weakened by injuries, but we think their wounded pride will see them through.

Galway go to Corrigan Park. Antrim are a significantly better team when they play under the shoulder of the Belfast hills. The Tribesmen should escape with the points, but if they're in trouble down the home straight, would you back them?

Lastly, on Sunday, Carlow deserve a packed house for Wexford's visit to Dr Cullen Park. It's been a tough journey for a county with such a small hurling base, making last week's heroics highly commendable.

However, Lee Chin is already in All-Star territory with his performances for Wexford this summer. Scallions v Strawberries? We let the head rule the heart again, Strawberries to win.

To Munster, where the battle for a top-three place has created such smoke and such noise that it's easier just to experience it than to try and understand it.

Limerick have taken a blow, but they've got a week of rest.

Waterford were written off a few weeks ago, but they have travelled to Clare with three points already in the bag from two