Tipp and Cats set to renew rivalry

FORGET last Tuesday night’s Waterford Crystal Cup defeat to Clare. Tipperary’s season will only kick into gear on February 20 in Thurles and it will begin much as last year’s ended with a test of their credentials against Kilkenny.

Last September’s All-Ireland final has already been bestowed with legendary status and it will fall to those two rivals to get the 2010 NHL underway under the Semple Stadium lights in three weeks’ time.

Tipp should lack little in the way of motivation. The sides met three times in 2009 with Kilkenny edging the National League final by three points and the All-Ireland decider by five while their first clash, at Nowlan Park in March, ended with Brian Cody’s men 17 points to the good.