Stakes are high for Cork and Tipp's showdown in Semple Stadium, warns John Considine

Liam Sheedy and Henry Shefflin, present in Hayes’ Hotel in Thurles for the launch of RTÉ’s championship coverage earlier this month, were 10 minutes poring through the runners and riders for Liam MacCarthy before first mentioning the Cork hurlers.

And even at that, the brief reference to Kieran Kingston’s men came from Shefflin who described them as a “team in building”.

The pair continued to chat all matters hurling for a further 10 minutes without anymore discussion on Kieran Kingston’s charges.