Weekend Previews

Today

Division 1B

Clare v Meath, Milltown Malbay, (2.30 p.m.)

What odds the first yellow or red card will be brandished here? Quite short, one suspects, as Clare and Meath kick start the new league campaign with the first of 127 scheduled matches. Life goes on for Meath, with Sean Boylan still at the helm, but he has been forced to improvise from the outset due to injuries (long- and short-term) and a honeymoon. John McDermott, a Trojan in the recent International Rules series, is the honeymooner. Injury rules out Tommy Dowd and Enda McManus and Trevor Giles is on the long-term casualty list. It all means a call-up for Niall Crawford from county champion Dunboyne and a return to defence for Graham Geraghty, with Jody Devine and Evan Kelly getting to start a game rather than being sprung from the bench. Clare have promoted Johnny Daly to the starting line-up, but leave a vacancy at midfield in the hope that Donal O'Sullivan passes a fitness test.

Verdict: Meath.

Tomorrow

(All games 3.0 p.m. unless stated)

Division 1A

Donegal v Armagh, Ballybofey

Nothing like the November chill to dispel romantic notions of what-might-have-been for these two sides who didn't quite climb the summer peaks. It's back to reality time, although the hope is that this encounter bears little resemblance to the corresponding league fixture between the two sides of last season which was a pretty spooky, and certainly robust, affair.

Donegal's Jim McGuinness has been named at wing back, even though he's nursing an ailing back, and Noel McGinley and Adrian Sweeney have also been passed fit. Armagh's defence will need to be on their toes to keep up with a nifty Donegal full-forward line, but possess a fair share of ingenuity in their own attack.

Verdict: Donegal.

Offaly v Cork, Tullamore

Last season, Offaly were invincible in the league and breezed through their 10 matches unbeaten. It set up high levels of expectation for the championship which were quickly exploded by Meath and, since then, the county's hurlers have scaled the heights and taken some of the hype away from the footballers. Little wonder then that Tommy Lyons should confess to a feeling of satisfaction during the week that Offaly "are now back in the pack".

Yet, these two teams are again likely to be among the big players in the league. Offaly, as holders, have certainly shown their intentions by naming a very strong side (although Roy and Barry Malone are confined to the bench due to their involvement in a provincial club match for Rhode today) that includes just one newcomer, Frank Weir, at full forward. Cork named a strong team in midweek but must now plan without Stephen O'Brien and Martin Cronin, who are required for a rescheduled club junior hurling championship match. The disruption won't help Cork.

Verdict: Offaly.

Dublin v Tyrone, Parnell Park

Did he ever really go away? Dessie Farrell will be present and correct for Dublin's opening league match, but Tom Carr's rebuilding is reflected in other areas of the field, particularly in defence. Indeed, the team - three newcomers in defence, and Mick O'Keefe rewarded for his dead-ball accuracy in Kilmacud Crokes' championship campaign with selection at corner forward - shows signs of finally moving on and has the potential to leave behind the feeling of despondency that was felt around the capital in the wake of the championship defeat to Kildare.

Peter Canavan's fitness comes as a major boost to Tyrone and it will be interesting to see how teenager Richard Thornton performs. Overall, Tyrone may have a slight edge in experience.

Verdict: Tyrone.

Division 1B

Monaghan v Laois, Scotstown

The latest rumour doing the rounds about the vacant Laois manager's job has former Dublin footballer Paul Clarke as a runner. True or not, the interview process won't conclude until next Tuesday, by which time the new man will have a fair idea of the task facing him. A county board triumvirate takes charge of the side for tomorrow's trip north. Monaghan manager Eamonn McEneaney has made his intentions clear by leaving Declan Smyth on the bench and handing debuts to Padraig McKenna, Paul O'Connor and Keith McConnell.

Certainly, the conveyer belt of talent into the Laois senior set-up should be better than anywhere now - given their recent underage record - and, even without a manager, they should get off to a winning start.

Verdict: Laois.

Kildare v Down, Newbridge

The good luck messages are still in situ along the roadways of Kildare. But the hype that accompanied their ultimately vain bid to win the Sam Maguire has given way to a feeling of anti-climax. Whether or not Kildare are ready to resume footballing duties remains to be seen, and deferring team selection until tomorrow suggests the period of mourning hasn't been long enough.

Down, meanwhile, have three newcomers to league duty: Eoghan Woods will partner Greg McCartan at midfield, and Paul McShane (corner back) and Dean Anderson (half back) make their senior debuts. It is always hard for the beaten All-Ireland finalists to lift themselves for the opening league game, and Down may benefit.

Verdict: Down.

Mayo v Derry, Charlestown

The king is back, but Derry's Eamon Coleman may have wished for an easier re-introduction to the rigours of inter-county management. Deprived of a number of players due to injuries and club commitments, the trip to the west represents a pretty stern opening challenge - and Mayo will probably feel the need to jump out of Galway's shadow.

Mayo relinquished their provincial crown to the Tribesmen back in May and have been chomping at the bit to return to competitive action ever since. Tomorrow's match will see Pat Fallon - who missed the championship due to a broken leg - return to his customary midfield position. The team selection indicates that Mayo mean business.

Verdict: Mayo.

Division 2A

How did Roscommon and Kerry contrive to end up in the lower reaches of the revamped league? The answer is that Kerry, the league and All-Ireland winners of 1997, and Roscommon simply didn't win enough matches in last season's league campaign and paid the price. The irony is that tomorrow's meeting at Dr Hyde Park should provide one of the day's best matches.

Roscommon (unlucky not to have beaten Galway in their two championship encounters) want to continue their progress and Kerry, with the Hassett brothers, Liam and Mike, returned to the fold, are keen to show they're a better team than their All-Ireland semi-final performance suggested. Either way, whoever wins this match should become odds-on favourite to top the division and claim the sole knock-out place on offer. Antrim and Westmeath, meanwhile, meet at Corrigan Park - and it would be a surprise if Westmeath didn't come away with the points.

Division 2B

All that talk of Cavan's Dermot McCabe packing his bags and jetting off to pursue an Australian Rules career remains just that, talk. So it is that McCabe will pack his kit bag and make the short trip to Markievicz Park tomorrow where he will line out at centre half forward for Cavan against Sligo in a match that could well have an important bearing on the final outcome of a division which has the potential to be far more competitive than Division 2A.

Apart from Sligo and Cavan, teams with grand ambitions locking horns, Tipperary will seek to improve further on the progress made on the march to the Munster final by playing host to Fermanagh at Arfinnan (1.0 p.m.). An indication of how seriously Fermanagh are taking the league is that the Brewster brothers, Paul and Tom, are available ahead of Enniskillen Gaels' Ulster club semi-final clash with Bellaghy on Sunday week. Elsewhere, Longford take on Carlow at Pearse Park and Waterford face Wexford at Leamybrien.

Due to weather conditions, the Ulster club hurling championship final between Ballygalget (Down) and Ballycastle (Antrim) has been switched from Casement Park to Corrigan Park tomorrow with a 1.30 p.m. throw-in.