It’s rare that there’s much at stake in the first round of the League, football or hurling, but on Sunday two counties’ seasons are on the line.
WHAT: Wexford v Limerick, Allianz Hurling League Division 1B, Round 1
WHERE: Innovate Wexford Park
WHEN: Sunday, 2.0pm
And this match isn’t in the top flight either - this game is off Broadway in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League between Wexford and Limerick.
Top flight hurling, Division 1A, is where it’s at. To be the best you have to be competing against the best inside that elite six-team group, this year comprised of Tipperary, Kilkenny, Waterford, Clare, Dublin and Cork.
There are good teams in 1B also, make no mistake, but the section is top-heavy and Galway, Wexford and Limerick would be aiming to win half of their games at a canter.
One of these three is almost certain to be promoted and losing on Sunday would put a serious dent in either Wexford or Limerick’s ambitions, with Galway to follow. For Wexford there’s a trip to Salthill on Sunday week while Limerick host the Tribesmen at the end of March.
The likelihood is that the team that goes up will finish their five-game regular season programme unbeaten - defeat this weekend cannot be an option. Losing almost certainly means another season outside of the small ball game's elite.
The GAA have slightly softened the consequences of failing to make it out of Division 1B, with the top four teams going into the League 1 quarter-finals which allows them at least one more game against quality opposition before the start of the Championship.
Hurling is like football, where, according to Tyrone boss Mickey Harte, no team from outside of the top tier are going to win an All-Ireland.
Both of these counties are backed by large and enthusiastic followings, leading both managers to preach caution. John Kiely in Limerick and Davy Fitzgerald with Wexford are new to their jobs so they don’t want to pin their futures on achieving promotion this season only to see that dream vanish on the very first day of action.
Kiely, who led Limerick to the All-Ireland Under-21 title two years ago said: “The concept of promotion out of the division is not on our radar at the moment. If we give ourselves an opportunity at some point down the road to gain promotion that would be great.
“As an ambition, obviously everybody wants to play at the highest possible level, so yes, it’s an ambition. What the effects of getting promotion would be, that would remain to be seen.”
Fitzgerald is working with a group of players who are backboned by the Under-21 side that reached back-to-back All-Ireland Under-21 finals, including the 2015 edition which they lost to Limerick.
There’s pressure on him wherever he goes, much of it brought upon himself, though he too is looking to buy a bit of time and patience from the Yellow Belly faithful.
“I suppose the expectation within the county… they’re trying to manage it a small bit," he said, speaking to RTÉ Sport earlier in the week.
“You don’t want them putting too much pressure on the lads. There’s a process here. We’ll stick with it, good or bad, and see how it goes.”
These counties have been mired in 1B for several years now, with Dublin, Cork and Clare all having come down for a brief stay and Galway, All-Ireland semi-finalists last season, will be hoping to bounce straight back up following last season's demotion on the back of a play-off defeat to Cork.
Wexford and Limerick will know that if they want to get in the mix, no slip-ups can be had.
You can listen to updates from all of this weekend's big games on Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
Live commentary on Saturday night's Allianz League games every week on Saturday Sport Extra at 7.0pm on RTÉ Radio 1.
Full highlights of the major action on League Sunday on RTÉ 2 Television every Sunday from 9.30.
