PREVIEW | Limerick face difficult Waterford trip in third round of National Camogie League

Life in the second grade has proved troublesome for Limerick thus far after they were well beaten by Antrim last weekend in Rathkeale.

John Lillis’ senior camogie side face arguably their most difficult task yet when they travel to De La Salle to take on Waterford in the third round of the Very Camogie League.

Throw-in is at 2pm with Limerick looking to get their first points of the year after successive defeats to Antrim and Wexford in the opening pair of rounds.

Conversely, Waterford come into the contest on full points with victories coming against Offaly and the Yellowbellies. They had twelve points to spare against Wexford, a week after they held off Limerick, to maintain their place atop the Division 1B standings following the comprehensive 4-22 to 1-9 victory over Offaly in their first round.

Saturday’s clash is also a repeat of the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship quarter-final where the Deise were dominant in a 3-16 to 1-12 victory. That was a first win at the stage following four successive losses while Limerick’s wait for a win in the knockout stages rumbles on in just their third last six meeting since 2004.

Waterford’s championship progression belied their league form as they fell in the semi-finals of Division 2. However, they seem buoyed this time around to earn promotion with a fast start.

Limerick on the other hand are without a league win since 2021 after their relegation last year. Losses to Galway, Kilkenny, Clare and Offaly ended their stay in the top tier as they moved into the restructured 1B.

And life in the second grade has proved troublesome thus far after they were well beaten by Antrim last weekend in Rathkeale. There were positives from both while the result in Wexford could have gone a different way.

Limerick have also been without the services of All-Star nominee Caoimhe Costello while her clubmate Sophie O’Callaghan only made her return off the bench last time around.

Indeed, Limerick only had just over a third of their XV that started against Waterford last year in their line up last weekend. Captain Marian Quaid was joined by Muireann Creamer, Mairead Ryan, Caoimhe Lyons, Sarah O’Brien, Claire Keating and Ailbhe Larkin as the only players to start both.

After scoring Limerick’s only goal in the loss to Waterford, Rebecca Delee is likely to miss the majority of the campaign with a knee injury although Laura O’Neill’s return is a positive for the side as it has allowed Keating to return to the forward ranks.

Nonetheless, it is a team in transition as Lillis alluded to in his post-match interview following the Antrim defeat.

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Lillis did remain upbeat about his side’s progression and while the Waterford game comes at an untimely time for this relatively new look Limerick side, there are more favourable games to come in the form of Down and Offaly who met in the second round.

Each will provide Limerick with a real chance of victory and while they won’t go into the game against the Deise without a fight, the De La Salle clash is another chance to benchmark the level where they will need to get to heading into the championship.

The returnees will make a difference but it looks like Waterford’s to lose.

Limerick face Waterford in De La Salle in the third round of the Very Camogie League on Saturday March 4 at 2pm.