Pitch battle as Thurles groundsman on weather watch

Cutting up of the pitch is the main concern of Semple Stadium custodian David Hanley as he and his team prepare the venue for this weekend’s five championship games in two days.

The Thurles pitch will play host to three games tomorrow - Tipperary v Louth footballers and then the Dublin-Limerick and Clare-Cork round 2 hurling qualifiers - before they get it ready again for the Munster senior and minor hurling finals on Sunday.

With the weather taking a turn for the worse, Hanley knows the job may be made more difficult. He’s checking the forecast on an hourly basis. He’s also recruited extra volunteers to ensure the turf is in good nick for the weekend’s marquee game between Tipperary and Waterford.