Preview: Kilkenny ready to pounce if Clare can't deliver at Croker again

Will it be third time lucky for Clare against Kilkenny in today's first All-Ireland semi-final?

They didn’t have much fortune in 2022 when John Conlon was a late change due to a back injury. But even if he had played, the Banner looked spent after an extra-time Munster final defeat to Limerick and a late rally to get past Wexford. The Cats had it in the bag by half-time when they led by 14 points and closed it out by nine.

Last year, Brian Lohan seemed to overthink it by uncharacteristically going with a sweeper in the first half, in a bid to prevent the leakiness of the year before. They didn't concede a goal but only managed 10 points at the other end to Kilkenny's 15.

Clare reverted to their typical man-to-man approach for the second period and quickly erased the deficit to lead but a calamitous defensive turnover gifted Kilkenny a 53rd-minute goal and their opponents fought furiously to keep their noses in front, Eoin Murphy saving spectacularly from Peter Duggan to prevent extra-time.

What has changed and what remains the same?

Clare were beaten in a third successive Munster final by Limerick last month, and far more convincingly than in 2022 or ’23.

They are still prone to defensive spontaneous combustion. In the group stage, they were nine points up against Limerick until conceding what Lohan called "three shocking goals" and Eibhear Quilligan was too easily beaten for a green flag in both encounters against the champions.

TWO GOALS FOR LIMERICK!
What a turnaround as the All-Ireland champions score two in as many minutes