Tipp heading in the right direction but what of Kilkenny’s creaky defence and winless start?

What odds would you have got on Kilkenny being the only team in Division 1A without a point after two rounds?

However, with three games still to play, three teams from six to qualify for the semi-finals, you still wouldn’t be ruling them out of contention in the race for silverware.

The biggest thing that struck me about this game — and it was of a very high quality, considering the conditions and the time of year — were the rules. Why were two players sent off yesterday? That is the ultimate sanction against a player, yet this wasn’t even remotely a dirty game.