It's a big weekend on the Munster hurling front, with two Waterford sides in action.
Ballygunner start the defence of their senior provincial crown with Cork's Sarsfields coming to Walsh Park on Sunday, while Ardmore will fly the Waterford flag at the junior grade when they take on another Cork side in St Catherine's on Saturday in Fraher Field.
Daragh O Sullivan's Gunners are unbeaten in Munster in their last six games, winning two titles in that time, as well as an All-Ireland.
Their last loss came at the hands of Borris-Ileigh in 2019, losing by a single point in Páirc Uí Rinn, with Brendan Maher sending two late points between the sticks to secure the title for the Premier County.
While the Waterford success outside of the county in recent years has been impressive, the same can not be said for our Cork counterparts.
The last Munster title that arrived on Leeside was in 2009 when Newtownshandrum beat the Gunners at Semple Stadium with two points to spare. In fact, you have to go back as far as 2016 to find the last game that the county won in Munster. That came thanks to Glen Rovers beating Patrickswell in a campaign that would see them claim runners-up behind Ballyea.
In between that 2009 title and the lone win for Glen Rovers in 2016, the interim period is less than overwhelming. The county did not pick up a single Munster win between 2010 and 2015.
Sarsfields, Carrigtwohill, Midleton and Glen Rovers all tried and failed to break the deadlock, but it was Rovers that crested the hill in 2016, if even for a moment.
Prior to this Munster campaign, Balllygunner made history here in Waterford, seeing off De La Salle 2.26 to 0.21 as they marched on to a tenth consecutive senior county title.
They have now surpassed both Erins Own and Mount Sion with their decade of dominance and will be hoping that the eight-week break from play will once again prove to be nothing but a talking point before throw-in. They've dealt with this challenge for the past two years, passing with full honours on both occasions.
While they may have been setting records within the Déise, another carrot lies in front of the Gunners in the next few weeks.
No team has ever won three consecutive Munster Championships. Five sides (Newmarket-On-Fergus, Roscrea, Blackrock, St Joseph's/Doora Barefield & Ballygunner) have gone back-to-back, but that elusive three in a row has remained the toughest nut to crack.
If they are to retain the O'Neill Cup, they will have to see their way through both Sarsfields & Na Piarsaigh - who they beat in last year's competition - before a final with either Kiladangan Clonlara on December 2nd/3rd.
WLR Will bring you this weekend's game live thanks to George Corbett Skoda from 1.15 pm on Sunday.
