Round 1
1. Westmeath v Carlow 3.5.2015 Cusack Park 3.30
2. Antrim v Laois 3.5.2015 Ballycastle 3.30
Round 2
1. Westmeath v Antrim 10.5.2015 Cusack Park 3.30
2. Carlow v Laois 10.5.2015 Netwatch Cullen Park 3.30
Round 3
1. Carlow v Antrim 24.5.2015 Netwatch Cullen Park 3.30
2. Laois v Westmeath 24.5.2015 O'Moore Park 3.30

QUARTER-FINALS
A. Dublin v Galway 31.5.2015 Croke Park 2.00pm
B Group Winners v Offaly 7.6.2015 To be confirmed TBC
C Group Runners Up v Wexford 7.6.2015 To be confirmed TBC

Prediction for this weekend:
Westmeath v Carlow - Carlow will be waiting in the long grass after a disappointing league. I'll go with Westmeath to shade it however.
Antrim v Laois - Antrim had a poor league. Compounded with relegation to 2A. A win for Laois will set them on their way to win the group.

Final placing predictions.
1. Laois
2. Westmeath
3. Carlow
4. Antrim

I'm taking a punt on Westmeath to beat Antrim and make the top 2. I'm going a step further. Antrim could go the entire year without a win in league and championship. Whoever finishes bottom is dropping to the Christy Ring in 2016. The Christy Ring will become an Ulster Championship with Antrim, Down and Derry all involved.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7822 - 29/04/2015 21:47:07    1719099

Sundays game will decide how Antrim's championship will pan out. If we lose I can also see the wheels falling off completely, on the other hand if we win confidence will be sky high and should then top the group.
A squad of relatively unknown u21s been drafted into the panel over the last few weeks which illustrates where we're at currently with more senior players walking away.
I am afraid im not in the optimistic camp at the minute, maybe like the league we need to get relegated to start the real soul searching and hopefully get the ball rolling again.

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 30/04/2015 10:43:51    1719133

Yeah, you've gotta favor Laois to top the group. And if they can match the performances they put in against Galway the last 2 years, this could be the first year we see a group team make a Leinster semi.
Its difficult to be optimistic about Antrim's chances, especially given they are losing players from the panel, a la
http://hoganstand.com/Antrim/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=236370

I guess it comes down to what the best preparation is. Although Kerry eventually came out of 2A, Westmeath actually topped the group. Is going unbeaten in 2A (winning 4, drawing 1) better preparation than playing in 1b, but losing all your matches? You could argue that playing at a higher level is better prep regardless, but there's no doubt that Westmeath will be in a better state of mind coming into this, and will have momentum.

Its hard to know where Carlow are at, they had a so-so league. I think the winners of Carlow v Westmeath will take second spot in the group. In many ways, the provincial group is the most interesting part of the AI series.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 30/04/2015 17:00:20    1719296

As a Laoisman I'm really looking forward to see where my own county is actually at this year, so fair we have been very poor . We were truly awful against Antrim in the league play off and its a game we could have easily lost .

I would expect Laois to be in top shape come sunday but I also expect Antrim to be a different animal to the league especially at home in the first match. This will be the game of the qualifier group and I see very little in it. Laois have a couple of lads out but the lads coming through are very good and finally we have a panel that has numerous options of the bench. I see Laois winnnig this match by a couple of points and going on to top the group but there will be nothing easy in any match for anybody and see Carlow causing an upset or two.

Top two for me will be Laois and Carlow.

Baxter (Laois) - Posts: 282 - 30/04/2015 17:39:53    1719308

Laois should be targeting winning the group and be looking ahead to taking the scalp of Offaly. Beat Offaly and they will be in the Leinster championship proper instead of Offaly next year. Kerry and Offaly going head-to-head in the Qualifier Group of 2016. One can dream!

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7822 - 30/04/2015 17:51:15    1719311

Laois should win this group easily enough with 3 wins. Carlow are not in a great place right now. A very poor league, a few have left the panel and it's very hard to see it coming together for these games. Unfortunately i'd expect us to lose all 3 games, the only slight hope of a win might be Antrim if they are still struggling.

I'd say it will end up:
1-Laois
2-Westmeath
3-Antrim
4-Carlow

Hope I am wrong of course!

The Real 1944 (Carlow) - Posts: 1114 - 30/04/2015 18:28:54    1719319

I expect Laois to win all 3 group games.

However the battle is second is fair tight and its a toss up really with 3 key games below.Its probably so close will come down to score difference / head 2 head. As bad as Antrim played in the league I think they will still take some beating at championship pace and win the key games to finish 2nd.

Westmeath v Carlow winner on Sunday is in a strong position already. On form Westmeath should win.
Carlow v Antrim - I would expect Antrim to win i think they have the hurlers to turn the season around.
Westmeath v Antrim - Again on paper I would fancy Antrim as Westmeath may just lack that edge to finish off a team like Antrim.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 01/05/2015 10:14:06    1719393

Yeah, Laois seem to be the team to beat. The other 3 might win a game each. It could be a fine margin between a Leinster Championship quarter-final and Christy Ring hurling in 2016.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7822 - 01/05/2015 20:13:17    1719591

Would the 'real' Antrim team please stand up. Ooops, they did. That was breath taking. Our experience of fading in the last few minutes turned on its head there. Guts, determination and skill got them over the line against a very decent Laois team, and some strange officiating decisions. Small margins in sport! Against a background of a poor League campaign, and some very negative commentary from some people who should know better, this is just what the doctor ordered. One swallow and all that............

Good luck to Laois for the rest of the campaign.
Upwards and onwards to the next game.

Glensboy (Antrim) - Posts: 286 - 03/05/2015 17:41:50    1719973

Fair play to Antrim. Dusted themselves off after a disappointing league to beat the group favourites. You'd have to fancy them from here to claim at least another win. Massive result for Westmeath as well. Gives them a good chance of avoiding the drop to the Christy Ring at least.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7822 - 03/05/2015 18:21:40    1719986

Antrim with injuries and morale low after a lot of unfair criticism beat a very good Laois team today and should have won by more but for some strange referring decisions. This is the boost Antrim needed and their sights will now be on winning the group and meeting Offaly. They have changed their style of play and now are getting the ball quick into their classy forwards. The tide has now turned as the style of play used in the league of the slow ball out of defence which did not suit them has been changed. The training ground will be a changed place on Tuesday night. Sorry to disappoint a lot of people but Antrim will not be playing in the Christy Ring Cup in 2016. Their sights are now firmly on Offaly come June.

Isolatedantrim (Antrim) - Posts: 31 - 03/05/2015 21:28:00    1720053

Antrim can still go down if they lose to Westmeath and Carlow.

hurlingguru (Carlow) - Posts: 1833 - 04/05/2015 15:33:11    1720160

Still expect Laois to go through. We said the road to future success was going to have a few bumps along the way.
Roll on next week!

SashLad (Laois) - Posts: 6 - 04/05/2015 21:54:46    1720239

Was delighted with the result on Sunday in Ballycastle - it was a timely confidence boost for the team after what has been a disappointing season to date and hopefully the lads can play with a bit more belief and push on from this. It's not going to be easy in the remaining two fixtures and there could be a few twists yet but our destiny is very much in our own hands.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 05/05/2015 08:26:54    1720243

Great to see some backs-to-the-wall fight from the Antrim hurlers. League & championship are different animals! Westmeath just about got over the line against Carlow too. This group could go down to the wire!

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 05/05/2015 11:47:38    1720305

Huge win for Antrim and a huge blow for Laois

Brianmac78 (Dublin) - Posts: 1168 - 05/05/2015 13:18:07    1720366

These games look like they will all be competitive.

Whether it is a help or a hinderance for whoever advances remains to be seen. Its no disrespect to any of these teams in saying that none of them can rest easily.

If its competitive games that these teams want, they won't be disappointed.

Offaly will have a tough time with whoever comes out and I expect a great game in that round also,

UpOffaly (Offaly) - Posts: 68 - 05/05/2015 19:59:39    1720617

Laois need to win in Carlow to get back in the race. Whoever wins between Antrim & Westmeath in Mullingar will surely qualify from the group.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 06/05/2015 10:45:24    1720744

Antrim will walk the group now, its going to be a serious dogfight between the rest for the second spot.

Baxter (Laois) - Posts: 282 - 06/05/2015 11:00:47    1720749

The challenge for Antrim now is to follow-up on the Laois win. Mullingar is not an easy to place to do that.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 06/05/2015 12:52:40    1720828