The stage is set for the oneills.com All-Ireland 4-Wall Senior Doubles finals at the National Handball Centre in Croke Park on Saturday.
Both the Men's and Ladies Senior Doubles finals are repeats of last year, with defending champions and live underdogs in both.
In the Men’s final, Clare’s Diarmaid Nash and Colin Crehan – who are seeking a third title in succession and a fourth in total – take on Cork’s Daniel Relihan and Michael Hedigan, who reached their maiden decider last year.
The Rebels are also represented in the Ladies decider as the pre-eminent doubles pair in the game, Catriona Casey and Aishling O’Keeffe, take on Galway’s Ciana Ní Churraoin and Niamh Heffernan.
Lefty Nash and the explosive Crehan have cruised into the final with some impressive displays while the Liscarroll duo came through a close tiebreaker last time out against Patrick and Peter Funchion from Kilkenny.
The Bannermen come into the tie as favourites but Relihan’s shot-making and Hedigan’s retrieving ability are such that Cork will pose a formidable challenge.
"At this stage we’re well used to playing with each other and we know our strengths," Nash said.
"Colin is a very attacking player and a sort of kill artist – we mesh well because I keep the game alive a lot of the time and I am good to pick and a good rallier and that kind of thing and hopefully can get us set-ups and he has the ability to put those set-ups away, which is great.
"He’s got fantastic hands, I feel like a lot of my job is to do the picking, I am fairly quick inside so I can keep the rallies alive and then he has an unbelievable ability to shoot the ball so I suppose we complement each other quite well.
"The Cork lads are kind of similar as well actually, they’re opposites in ways. Michael is an unbelievable man to pick ball and he can kill it too, he’s a fantastic player and a real hard-nosed competitor and really tough to play in singles or doubles.
"The rallies go on way longer when he’s playing. Then Daniel has that touch of class, he’s got the tomahawks and some unbelievable shots from all over the court. He adds that shooting ability and no more than Colin, the two of them are real shooters and attacking type of players.
"Myself and Michael would maybe be more defensive. It’s two good teams, obviously it’s a repeat of last year’s final and no doubt the guys will be gunning for us after last year so we’re under no illusions as to the challenge."
Casey and O’Keeffe, meanwhile, edged the Tribeswomen on a wafer thin 11-10 margin in a tiebreaker in last year’s final and will be out to assert their dominance, with Ní Churraoin – who stunned Casey in last year’s All-Ireland Singles final – struggling with an injury over recent weeks.
Action serves off at 12pm, with five-time world champion Paul Brady from Cavan making his comeback in the Masters Doubles final in the first match, against Mayo.
Also down for decision are the Minor Doubles finals, which are both Kilkenny v Galway.
