LIL HURLERS' BIG CHANCE

Kildare v Laois Tomorrow, Croke Park, 1.45pm

- BY KARL O'KANE

KILDARE hurlers are 70 minutes away from jumping straight from the Christy Ring Cup into the All-Ireland series with back to back promotions.

BY KARL O'KANE

If the Lilywhites can get the better of Laois at Croke Park in tomorrow's Joe McDonagh Cup decider - a curtain-raiser to the Leinster Final - it will represent a significant leap for hurling in the county.

Either way, Kildare are going to be facing a beaten provincial finalist in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, a tie which will be a huge step-up.

This year's McDonagh Cup will play the beaten Leinster finalists with the runner-up playing the beaten Munster finalists, but it's the McDonagh Cup Kildare really want.