Tangled fate of Tipp and Clare

WHAT is it about Clare and Tipperary hurlers that they seemed destined to be meet continually in the championship?

Three weeks ago they clashed for the fourth year in succession and as if this wasn't bad enough, they were even paired together when the first-round draw for the qualifiers was made on Sunday.

However, under the rules of the competition, there can be no provincial repeats until the semi-finals. Second time round, Clare got the toughest draw against Galway while Tipp were paired with Laois.