Tipperary might be the only team to have beaten Cork so far this season but few are tipping them to repeat the trick in Sunday's Allianz Hurling League final.
The Rebels are back on their home pitch in Páirc Ui Chaoimh, where they drew with Limerick before beating Kilkenny and Galway, and will be aiming to emulate the team that defeated them in last year's All-Ireland final, Clare, by using league success as a springboard for the summer.
But Liam Cahill's side topped the table as they rebounded from finishing last in Munster in 2024.
"Tipperary have done a fantastic job of just sitting in the background and letting it all be about Cork," former Antrim star Neil McManus told the RTÉ GAA podcast.
"Tipperary's season being so underwhelming last year has allowed them to be under the radar for most of this league campaign.
"They have brought in the four or five Under 20s from last year and they have gelled lovely. Darragh McCarthy has been a big part of the attack.
"It’s set up really nicely for Tipp to spoil the party but I don’t know that they’ll be able to do it.
"There is so much momentum behind Cork now. They have so many different match-winners all over the field.
"Alan Connolly was saying during the week that everybody is trying to win every sprint at training. That just gives you a little snippet into the intensity for places there is in that Cork panel.
"Their midfield and forward line is absolutely ferocious. They might be down Brian [Hayes] but they have got three or four lads who can step straight in and offer you something different.
"Tipp are at a different stage in their development. They have a phenomenal spine but they need to develop that a little bit. This is a huge challenge for them."
So how could Tipperary derail the red express?
"I think the battle might actually be won in midfield," said McManus. "I think Willie Connors and Craig Morgan is Liam Cahill's preferred two.
"They’re going up against Darragh Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony, who have been in unbelievable form. What a partnership of silk and steel that is.
"If Tipperary can get a handle on those two, I actually think it gives them a chance to be in the game and make it really competitive but that’s one hell of an ask for those two lads."
"If this is going to be a shoot-out, there's no competing with Cork" - Ursula Jacob
Also speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, Wexford's four-time All-Ireland winner Ursula Jacob warned Tipp against allowing an open game to develop.
"It's hard to look past Cork," she said. "Their goal threat is going to be something that’s hard to stop.
"I’d be worried a little bit about Tipp defensively, with their pace.
"They are very strong going forward but when the Cork players take them on and go for goal, I think Tipp might be under a bit of pressure.
"If this is going to be a shoot-out, who can score the most, there’s no competing with Cork.
"They don’t take the easy option now, they go for it, even if they have half a chance."
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