Kilkenny and Galway meet at Croke Park for a Leinster final on Sunday afternoon looking to see who can claim the best-two-out-of-three seasonal series between the sides.
It's the third meeting of the pair in 2025 and the balance is currently, well, balanced with one win apiece.
Galway gave the Cats a rare home defeat at UMPC Nowlan Park during their Allianz League encounter back in early February while the Black and Amber turned the tables on the opening week of the Leinster championship round robin stage with a commanding 12-point win at the same venue.
Can Sunday’s decider help split the difference? Kilkenny forward Adrian Mullen is expecting the tightest of finals.
"Every game takes a life of its own," Mullen told RTÉ Sport this week. "Looking back to the league, they gave us a lesson in Nowlan Park. They won the league game, we won the round robin game – it’s all to play for on Sunday.
"Down through the years we’ve had ferocious games against Galway and there’s usually not a puck of a ball between us. We’re expecting the same this time around."
The two counties finished with similar records after league campaigns that seemed to ask as many questions as they answered. Both won three and lost three during their six-game Division 1A campaigns although Kilkenny managed to eke out a +4 scoring difference.
The Tribesmen’s lopsided -24 score difference owed to a trio of heavy defeats at the hands of Cork, Limerick and Tipperary – all three, remarkably, by 12 points.
Mullen, for his part, is just happy to have ticked an early seasonal objective off the list. Another provincial final reached.
"Your objectives at the start of the year are to try and compete in every game and try win every game," Mullen said.
"We’ve won a few games in the round robin, we’re here in the Leinster final now and we’re looking forward to Sunday."
The defending provincial champs have blooded some youngsters throughout the league but some of their veteran performers have continued to stand tallest when needed most.
"We’re trying to blood a few of the younger lads who won the Under-20 championship a few years ago," Mullen said.
"They’re still trying to find their feet and it’s up to a few of the experienced lads to be bringing them through and showing them the ropes.
"All the lads are putting in a ferocious shift this year. You look at Huw Lawlor, Richie Reid, TJ Reid of course, all the lads putting it in – you can’t ask for much more."
Watch Kildare v Laois and Kilkenny v Galway live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 1.30pm Sunday. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport.
