Good Morning Hurling Nation, tá an lá mór tagtha orainn cheanna féin.
After a championship that has caught fire on some days and been damp on the other days, the two most exciting teams of the summer have come through.
Cork have played a style of hurling that flows like spring water on the good days; Tipp have emerged out of the pack, getting better as the season progressed and flashing a full-forward line which can inflict as much damage as Cork's.
Two teams with no lack of self-belief squaring up, confidence comes and goes - even in Cork - but when confidence returns to either of these two teams, it comes galloping back.
And that belief comes from long history.
The Tipp dream for many a year, even before the microwave season was imposed upon us, was to have the hay saved and Cork beat.
The most recent battles are only slightly relevant. Tipp beat Cork in regular league play in February, since then they met in the league final when Cork won by 10 points and in Munster when Cork won by 15.
The Rebels scored seven goals in those two games, the Premier scored none but the circumstances were different.
Tipp were a work in progress during the league, Liam Cahill was throwing many debuts around and they were unhinged by an early sending off in the Munster game.
We know too that in Tipp, landlocked though it is, the tide comes in, the tide goes out faster than it does in most places.
They’ve continued the habit of the last 50 years by picking up single All-Irelands every few years and then fading back quickly.
In addition to winning this year’s Under-20 All-Ireland, three different Tipperary schools have won the last three Harty Cups, they’ve won two of last five Minor All-Irelands. Liam Cahill’s willingness to roll the dice with young players has paid off. Molann an obair an fear.
Against Kilkenny in the semi-final, most of the confidence and imagination came from the less experienced Tipp side.
How can the blue and gold upset Cork on Sunday? The seven-goal hammering of a half-frozen Dublin team in the semi-final obscure some Rebel memories of Clare’s comeback from being 12 points down in the first game of the Munster championship.
Peter Duggan in at full-forward caused major problems; Clare scored three goals in that second half.
In the first game against Limerick, Cork were well beaten and were dominated in the middle third for long stretches - another three goals were conceded. Remember Aaron Gillane scooting in along the endline from the left to score?
Tipp’s full-forward line of Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath and Jason Forde has a good mix, one young colt and two old foxes. Forde and McGrath have eight goals between them in this championship. They can hurt Cork.
And when the game enters the home stretch, being able to throw in Noel McGrath’s experience is a luxury.
The challenge for Tipp is digging enough ball out of the middle third. Rhys Shelley’s puck-outs are fast and varied but Cork have more aggression and more options under the ball.
Only Limerick in Munster games have managed to smother Cork in the middle third, Tipp don’t have the experience and physicality of Limerick.
Neither do Tipp have a player whose made the same kind of impact as Brian Hayes. In a short period of time, he’s emerged as the pivotal Cork forward - always available for high or low supply and turbo-charged once it hits his hand.
Cork’s hunger feels more evident and their forwards seem a shade sharper.
There will be goals and there will be madness.
Prediction? Overnight Cork have named an unchanged team to that which defeated Dublin and 14 of the same starting 15 from last year’s All-Ireland final.
The hurt from losing that final is more than a bad memory, it’s the path forward and with so many carrying that pain in their bones, rather than a weight it should be their fuel. Cork to win.
Another season down, hurling is food for the soul, drink for the imagination, rhythm for the dance. Bain taitneamh as on Sunday.
Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship final, Cork v Tipperary, on Sunday from 2.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
