Offaly and Wexford meet in Tullamore on Saturday with two new managers coming face-to-face with the prize of a last-four place in the Leinster Hurling Championship at stake.
The sides met in the league earlier this year and there was little to chose between them, with a late Wexford surge securing the win.
Both counties are trying to build for seasons to come and it would be a huge lift to progress to a semi-final and buy time should things go badly wrong against stronger sides later in the year.
Kilkenny gave the Faithful a reminder of how much of a gulf in class there is in a recent challenge game when they won by 26 points when missing many of their top players.
Competing with their calibre of players is a distant target, but with the possibility of a semi-final with Galway or Westmeath, the incentive for another chance is there.
Liam Dunne has brought in a number of young players with four debutants set to start on Saturday.
Dunne told the Wexford People: “Offaly will have no fear of Wexford, but we'll have no fear of Offaly either. The heart and will is there. Once that is there it's a huge plus.
“We will not be found wanting but we will have to do it in the 70 minutes."
“The best thing now is that the players are looking forward to it. We are on a journey, God knows where it will take us. We'll learn a lot whatever happens on Saturday evening but we'll not be found wanting.”
Offaly will rely on Joe Bergin, Shane Dooley and Brian Carroll for their scores and the experience in their side and home advantage should prove too much for Wexford to handle.
Verdict: Offaly
