Limerick come into Sunday's Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final in ominous form.
The Green Machine has shifted into top gear earlier than last year and a first league decider since 2020 (which was also the Munster quarter-final) is the result of five straight wins since the one-point loss to Cork in the opening round.
It is the first time in 35 years that the All-Ireland finalists have met in the subsequent league final and Kilkenny might be forgiven for wanting to bide their time as they seek to avenge last July's defeat.
But for forward Eoin Cody, testing themselves against the three-in-a-row standard bearers is always of huge benefit, win or lose.
"You want to play the best, to beat the best," the 22-year-old tells RTÉ Sport. "We're looking forward to playing Limerick.
"Last year was the first time that we played Limerick since 2019 and you learn from all these games.
"We will look at last year's game, learn from that and give it a proper rattle. You might win, you might lose, you might play again and hopefully we will in the future and it'll be the same again. If we go out and win or lose this weekend, it's not going to dictate what happens in the future.
"Last year, in the All-Ireland, we gave it everything we had. If we do that again, we'll give ourselves a right shot. I suppose we did hit a few wides in that game, which is probably something you look back on, and even myself personally is something you can focus on. The hard work, the hunger, the relentlessness is always there in this Kilkenny team. Maybe being a bit more ruthless in front of goal and take all our scores, if there’s a hook or a block extra we’ll do it, but I don’t think there’s anything there that we have to really focus on doing differently."
It has been five years since Kilkenny last claimed a league title and Cody, who won his first senior silverware in last year's Leinster final, thinks they could use it as a platform for championship success.
"It would be great," he says. "The U20s winning the All-Ireland last year, us going so close, winning is a habit. It is great for the mind, great for the head. If we could go in and bring that form into championship it would be a great way of looking at it.
"Obviously, they [Limerick] are winning a lot and that creates confidence and confidence in the way they play and what they do.
"I think when you look at our team and how young it is, it's a build in progress. We emphasise that it's not going to be perfect every day but it's all about just believing in yourself and believing in the training, the team, the panel and management.
"We're really emphasising this year putting belief into ourselves that we can do it. Maybe it won't be perfect but it's just about going and going again and keeping our heads up rather than having them down. There's a great belief in the team that this is only the start of it, hopefullly."
Cody was given a month off by new manager Derek Lyng after shooting 1-05 for Ballyhale in their All-Ireland club triumph.
He was struck by the "freshness" of the new setup when he rejoined the panel ahead of the win over Laois.
"I noticed the atmosphere was very good. Lads looked fit and strong and everyone looked happy. There was obviously a lot of younger lads after coming in and they brought an awful lot of freshness and obviously the new management team brought a lot of freshness as well.
"I'm not surprised. Derek has been involved with the panel in the past. He was involved with the U20s the last couple of years so he's been involved with every single player that's in the panel.
"He's been there himself, he's been a hurler, and all of his management team have been there too. There's a great mix and there's a great bond between the players and obviously the management are that bit younger.
"Myself Adrian [Mullen], TJ [Reid], and Richie [Reid] went down to watch the Tipp game together. You're watching it and you're just mad to go out and play. Being out of it really adds to the hunger. Obviously, Billy [Drennan] and the other lads are flying and I know myself that when you get back training it's all about the next training and the next game. You have to prove yourself every bit as much as the lads who are only there now this year or are there ten years."
Cody didn't take long to prove himself to Lyng, if he needed to, bagging 2-02 against Dublin in round four. He missed the semi-final win over Cork with a hamstring injury but is back in contention to play on Sunday, though he is a little surprised at the scheduling and choice of Pairc Ui Chaoimh as a venue .
"Everyone probably thought it was going to be Thurles, a Saturday evening under lights. And then the next thing it was set for Cork on Sunday.
"Easter Sunday is probably a day you would like to have spent with your family, Easter dinner and so on. That's the way it is and there is no point ranting about it."
Goals were what dragged Kilkenny back into contention in the sides' last meeting but Limerick have conceded just five in six games so far.
"Nowadays, it's just so hard to get that yard to even get a shot off at goal or take on [a man]," suggests te sharpshooter. "You really need to work on it, it doesn't just happen. You have to play the percentages. If the goal is not on you can’t go for it.
"Especially against this Limerick team, they are so good. If you’re not ruthless enough and you go for the goal when it’s not really on you get turned over. That’s a point gone and they can go up the other end and score a point. That’s a two-point turnaround and you’re kicking yourself."
"We're deservedly where we are"
Cody bristles a little at the suggestion that reaching this final is "bonus territory" given the change of management and absence of many of his Ballyhale team-mates, such as Reid and Mullen.
"I wouldn't say bonus territory, I'd say we've hurled and hurled well. Maybe a lot of media outlets think we haven't hurled well, but we're after winning every game except one. Even in that game, Tipp dominated, but Kilkenny were so close to come back and winning that game.
"It's not about how you win them, it's just about winning them. That's what we do in Kilkenny, we go out and it doesn't matter how good we play or how good the other team plays, at the end of the day it's the team that has the most points on the scoreboard.
"I think we're deservedly where we are. It's another game and we'll give it a crack again."
Watch highlights of all the weekend's championship football and the Allianz Hurling League final on The Sunday Game, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, 9.30pm
