Cork must fire on all cylinders to halt Kilkenny juggernaut

As happened last year, as was always bound to happen anyway, Kilkenny the immortal has gradually become the Kilkenny the mortal.

However, as happened last year too, after suffering defeat in Leinster Kilkenny have still come back to inflict more pain on their Munster rivals.

Will Cork be next? Last year, after being taken apart in the first half of the Leinster final by Galway they recovered to annihilate Tipperary in their next game, the All-Ireland quarter-final. This year Kilkenny fell at an earlier obstacle, beaten by Dublin after a replay in the Leinster semi-final, which meant not one but two extra games to get to back to another All-Ireland quarter-final. Their victims in those two wins? Tipperary first, then Waterford after extra-time. Two of Munster’s finest.