Kilkenny v Tipp – More than just two league points

The hurlers of Kilkenny and Tipperary lock horns in round two of the Allianz League on Sunday, with both managers getting their first taste of the rivalry in the hotseat.

Derek Lyng's side opened their league account by navigating the choppy waters at Corrigan Park last time out, which was in complete contrast to the Premier County’s 20-point destruction of Laois the previous day.

With Limerick dominating the hurling landscape, the rivalry between the two neighbours may not have quite the intense, national appeal from the earlier part of the century – between 2009 and 2019 the sides contested six All-Ireland finals, with the 2014 decider going to a replay – but for those within both counties, it is a fixture that is always earmarked.

Nowlan Park is the venue for the latest joust, and speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, eight-time All-Ireland winner Jackie Tyrrell says for both managers, it is going to tell a lot about their respective panels ahead of championship.

"There are certain games within the league, from a Kilkenny perspective, and a lot of other teams, that they just put a lot of weight on," he said.

"This will definitely be one for Kilkenny, and for Liam Cahill, who will probably learn as much out of this game, going into the lion’s den, as he will out of two or three other league games.

"It’s the same for Derek Lyng."

Tyrrell won half a dozen league titles as a player, three at the expense of the Premier County, recalled his own playing days under Brian Cody where matches against the Munster took on added significance.

"Brian in his time put a huge mass on these games, particularly when we went to Thurles. That was really a test about a lad’s mettle and character.

"It is the league, and we know what the league is for, but