A unique pairing for a unique year.
Limerick and Waterford will meet in the All-Ireland hurling final for the first time in what is just the third all-Munster decider.
Covid has ensured that the last game of the season will be played in December for the first time since Dublin beat Galway in 1924.
The shouts from the sidelines and crack of clashing ash will be audible all around an almost empty Croke Park - at least to the lucky few allowed in, who will constitute a record low attendance that will hopefully never be broken.
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For the hundreds of thousands watching at home around the world though, that we have a final at all will be a thing of wonder, after several months when it seemed the only sport to watch this year would be of the nostalgic variety.
A tantalising final it is, too.
Limerick come in as clear favourites. Back-to-back Munster and Allianz League champions. Nine wins in a row since being edged out by Kilkenny in last year's All-Ireland semi-final. Playing a team they have already beaten twice this year, both times by four points.
And yet, Waterford have reason to hope.
Their transformation from a team that didn't win a championship game for two full seasons into potential All-Ireland winners has been remarkable in Liam Cahill's first year as manager.
There was no luck involved in the victories over Cork and Clare.
In the Munster final, they drew level with Limerick and even briefly took the lead, only for the champions to produce a post-waterbreak spurt that got them over the line.
Their remarkable second-half dominance over Kilkenny in the first semi-final arguably gives them stronger momentum coming into the final.
Limerick were pushed all the way by Galway but John Kiely's relentless green machine again dug deep late on when their opponents had tied the game.
There are many factors to consider.
Will Waterford be as nervous as they were in the first half against Kilkenny, when they repeatedly fumbled or over-ran the ball, and shot nine wides?
Austin Gleeson hit four of those alone yet also scored four from play after the brilliant Stephen Bennett's goal provided the confidence boost they needed for an epic comeback.
The weight of history won't help with the tension but the lack of fans might. Waterford have lost three finals since their last championship triumph in 1959. Limerick stumbled over the line against Galway two years ago to end their own painful wait and have played with considerably more assurance since.
Goal chances were few and far between when the teams met in Thurles four weeks ago.
Since then, Waterford have conceded five. Two of Clare's three and both of Kilkenny's came from long deliveries into the full-back line. Limerick will have noticed.
At least the Déise have been scoring them at the other end too. Limerick's three so far all came against a rusty-looking Tipperary.
The recently retired Shane Dowling is a big loss in that respect but they did create chances against Galway, whose goalkeeper Eanna Murphy made great stops from Seamus Flanagan and David Reidy.
The fitness of Aaron Gillane, named to start despite being rated 50-50 last week, will be crucial. His movement and ball-winning ability is the most potent weapon of Limerick's full-forward line, though Flanagan does also provide a direct threat.
Even if they don't find goals, Limerick have been scoring an average of 28 points per game while conceding just 21 so you suspect Waterford will have to get some green flags waving.
GOAL! @waterfordgaa
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) November 28, 2020
Darragh Lyons buries the ball after a wonderful catch by Jack Fagan
Highlights on @rte2 tomorrow from 9.30pm #rtegaa https://t.co/czuXxifNjS pic.twitter.com/cTXVlmbRTu
They will need Jack Fagan to again dominate in the air and Bennett or Dessie Hutchinson, who can spend long periods out of the game before twisting the knife, to bring the magic.
Make-shift full-backs Dan Morrissey and Barry Nash have been rock solid, ably replacing Mike Casey and Richie English, who is reportedly back to full fitness.
Galway didn't get a sniff of a goal chance but that was also down to the deep-lying, towering Limerick half-back line, who are happy to accept any high ball rained down on top of them, and turn it into a long-range point for Diarmaid Byrnes or a surging run up the flanks by the repurposed 2018 Young Hurler of the Year Kyle Hayes.
Despite that, Waterford might choose to go longer from puckouts more often than Murphy did, given the pressure Limerick successfully brought to bear on Galway's short restarts.
At the other end, Waterford did better in the second half of the Munster final when they pushed up rather than allowing Limerick to work the ball through the lines, as they do so well.
Concerns for Limerick include wastefulness - they hit 16 wides against Galway - and an excess of aggression that could have seen the otherwise excellent Gearóid Hegarty sent off for a slap on Joe Canning and which let their opponents back into the game late on through frees.
Limerick have the bigger, more powerful men but Waterford's intense work-rate was something that surprised their captain Declan Hannon in the Munster decider.
Dynamic wing-back Calum Lyons has been one of the players of the championship and restricted Hegarty's impact that day while Jamie Barron has led the swarming midfield. Jack Prendergast and Kieran Bennett have been winning turnovers while Tadhg de Burca continues to pull the strings at centre-back/sweeper.
Waterford's opponents have mostly allowed him to be a free man rather than a seventh defender and it will be interesting to see whether one of Limerick's half-forwards, typically assigned to roam the middle third, taking short passes and shooting from the wings, will try to focus more on putting him under pressure.
Both teams have attacking options off the bench. Limerick can go to Peter Casey (nine points from play in four games) or Adrian Breen while Waterford have the likes of Darragh Lyons (1-00 against Kilkenny) and Patrick Curran.
Neil Montgomery makes his first championship start in the final after scoring two points and impressing as an early sub for Jake Dillon last day out. Corner-back Shane Fives has recovered from the quad injury that kept him out against Clare but Ian Kenny retains the number two jersey.
By their own admission, Limerick have not been at their best. But their near best has still been enough to beat everyone. They don't seem to panic and somebody always steps up.
Cian Lynch had a quiet enough first half against Galway but was inspirational after the break, while Tom Morrissey scored six decisive points, including a late free when Gillane had been forced off.
Waterford need to be the team they were in the second half against Kilkenny and hope Limerick don't suddenly find their flow.
If they're looking for inspiration they could do worse than look to the 2007 campaign when Limerick reversed their nine-point Munster final defeat to stun Waterford in the semi-final.
Waterford are dreaming of their fairytale moment. Limerick have already had theirs and are coldly eyeing history. Let's hope we get a match as memorable as the rest of 2020.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2020: Limerick 0-25 Waterford 0-21 (Munster final)
2019: Limerick 2-24 Waterford 0-10 (Munster round-robin)
2018: Limerick 2-26 Waterford 1-16 (Munster round-robin)
2011: Waterford 3-15 Limerick 3-14 (Munster semi-final)
2009: Waterford 0-25 Limerick 0-17 (Munster semi-final replay)
Watch the All-Ireland senior hurling final between Limerick and Waterford and the Joe McDonagh Cup final between Antrim and Kerry live on RTÉ2 from 12.30pm Sunday, listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 or follow our live blog on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News app. Highlights on The Sunday Game (9.30pm RTÉ2)
