Six men who will shape the final two months of the hurling championship

Six teams left in the hurling championship and five games to go, barring replays. It may be shaping up as another Kilkenny/ Tipperary shootout in September – but then that’s what we assumed this time last year. Here Enda McEvoy takes a look at six men who’ll help shape the contours of the next two months.

Donál Óg Cusack. 

By reaching the All-Ireland series Clare have, in literal terms, improved on their form of the past two championships. Beat Galway next weekend and they’ll be entitled to point to the year as a success: a first league title since 1978 and a place in the last four of the championship. But Cusack would be the first to acknowledge that he didn’t go to Clare to reach All Ireland semi-finals.