Finding Saturday night hero

Ever since Lar Corbett broke through for a goal in a largely forgotten yet pivotal 2008 league semi-final in Nowlan Park to announce the Liam Sheedy era and the Tipperary revival, it’s as if there have been two kinds of games in the life of a Tipperary or Kilkenny hurler — those against their fiercest enemy and those against everyone else.

Take Noel McGrath, who burst onto the scene the following year. Today will be his 16th league or championship game against Kilkenny. He’s still only in his sixth season, yet you could say roughly two of those have been taking up playing solely against Kilkenny.

Any debate about the merits of any current Tipp hurler and invariably a picture of them has black and amber in the background.