RTÉ GAA analyst Ursula Jacob has said that Sunday's Allianz Hurling League clash with Limerick is a chance for Kilkenny to really ramp up their 2025 performances.
Derek Lyng’s side have won two of three opening Division 1A fixtures, but for Jacob, there still has been something missing even this early in the season.
"I think any neutral and any GAA fan is really looking forward to this because when Kilkenny are playing in Nowlan Park, they seem to bring out their best hurling," she said on the RTÉ GAA podcast.
"Backed by a big home crowd, this is going to be the biggest test for Kilkenny in the league to see where they are at.
"They’ve come through the first three rounds, some patchy performances, periods of dominance then drifted out of games – which has been a little bit un-Kilkenny like.
"Even the last day against Wexford, they were in complete control, the game was over at half time, but I thought that ruthless streak that you would have seen five, six, seven years ago where they really would have went all out for more in the second half but they took the foot off the pedal.
"Same against Galway, the scored 1-06 without reply in the second half and then they allowed Galway back into it."
While Jacob said that it’s necessary to remember just how early in the season it is, the clash still provides a chance to lay down a marker.
"They haven’t put together a complete performance in this league," she added. "It still only is the league, they’re trialling out things, but I’d like to see against a team like Limerick, who really showed the full strength in depth of their panel the last day against Tipperary, how they’ll fare out.
"Remember, the last time they met was in the league semi-final last year and Kilkenny completely dominated that game, probably out-worked Limerick and had the Limerick full-back line under big, big pressure."
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Watch Tipperary v Cork in the Allianz Hurling League on Saturday from 7.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
