The Big Match comes with thanks to George Corbett Skoda

Austin Gleeson could line out in a Waterford shirt for the first time in 667 days tomorrow when Waterford take on Westmeath at Cusack Park.

There are five changes to the Waterford hurling team for tomorrow’s Allianz National League Division 1B clash against Westmeath in Mullingar.

Billy Nolan, Gavin Fives, Darragh Lyons, Jack Prendergast and Patrick Curran are all named on the starting fifteen while All Stars Gleeson and Tadhg De Burca are included on the bench.
Waterford’s promotion push was further galvanised by last week’s late win against Dublin – which followed up successes against both Laois and Antrim.
A win against Westmeath would point the cause in the direction of a league final showdown against Offaly – the team they will also face in their final group match on Saturday March 22nd.
Austin Gleeson took 2024 as a year out from the inter-county game, and told WLR during that break that it was a necessary thing to do.

“It has been strange, no point in lying. Not being in Carriganore or Dungarvan with the lads, training with them a couple of days a week – it has been strange, but I can’t lie, I’ve enjoyed the break.I feel like it’s something that I needed.”

“I suppose there’s a thing like if I went back in 2024, I don’t know, maybe I just would have begun to really resent hurling if you want to put it that way, I just wanted a good place with it.”

“Taking the break really recovered that drive that I was hoping for”, said Gleeson. “That was the biggest thing that I was hoping for out of the break was to want to hold a hurley again. I feel like I’ve got that back.”

Westmeath versus Waterford will be our George Corbett Skoda Big Match tomorrow afternoon. 
Join Kieran O’Connor and Michael Ryan for live coverage from 1.45. 
The Big Match comes with thanks to George Corbett Skoda
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