The hurlers of Kilkenny and Tipperary lock horns in round two of the Allianz League on Sunday, with both managers getting their first taste of the rivalry in the hotseat.
Derek Lyng's side opened their league account by navigating the choppy waters at Corrigan Park last time out, which was in complete contrast to the Premier County’s 20-point destruction of Laois the previous day.
With Limerick dominating the hurling landscape, the rivalry between the two neighbours may not have quite the intense, national appeal from the earlier part of the century – between 2009 and 2019 the sides contested six All-Ireland finals, with the 2014 decider going to a replay – but for those within both counties, it is a fixture that is always earmarked.
Nowlan Park is the venue for the latest joust, and speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, nine-time All-Ireland winner Jackie Tyrrell says for both managers, it is going to tell a lot about their respective panels ahead of championship.
"There are certain games within the league, from a Kilkenny perspective, and a lot of other teams, that they just put a lot of weight on," he said.
"This will definitely be one for Kilkenny, and for Liam Cahill, who will probably learn as much out of this game, going into the lion’s den, as he will out of two or three other league games.
"It’s the same for Derek Lyng."
Tyrrell won half a dozen league titles as a player, three at the expense of the Premier County, recalled his own playing days under Brian Cody where matches against the Munster took on added significance.
"Brian in his time put a huge mass on these games, particularly when we went to Thurles. That was really a test about a lad’s mettle and character.
"It is the league, and we know what the league is for, but there are certain games within them that are huge.
"There's history, tradition and hatred all wrapped up into it. Derek will be instilling into his lads it’s more than just a league game and two points."
An intriguing contest awaits on Sunday where Galway host Cork, with both sides off to a winning start from round one. The Tribesmen pulled away from Wexford down the stretch, while on the same night, in front of nearly 20,000 fans, the Rebels fought back to pip Limerick at the death for a morale-boosting win for new manager Pat Ryan.
How the visitors perform in Salthill, rather than the result itself, is what Tyrrell will be watching closely after impressing in their second-half comeback against the Treaty County.
"It’s not all about silky hurling. If Cork don’t win this weekend, don’t play well, but front up and work hard.
"If things don’t work out for them, maybe some of their key players don’t perform, there’s still a consistent approach as regards attitude, work-rate and body language.
"There’s something to build on."
The tie of the round is arguably the meeting of Clare and Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday night, a match live on RTÉ2.
It was the Banner men that pushed the champions in a pulsating Munster decider last year, while the league encounter at Cusack Park was also a rip-roaring contest that ended in a draw.
"This is going to be another humdinger," says Tyrrell. "Clare are gone very much under the radar. The end of last year (12-point All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kilkenny) maybe set people’s expectations back, but this is a really good team. Brian Lohan has done an outstanding job.
"They are building a nice panel, doing a lot of right things without getting much reignition for it. It will be a good acid test going to the Gaelic Grounds to renew the rivalry."
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