Champions not in habit of lending hope to potential successors

Not a lot of people seem to remember it but Tipperary actually did a job on Kilkenny in this fixture two years ago.

The visitors were understrength due to Ballyhale Shamrocks’ run to the All-Ireland final, thereby removing further cards from a deck weakened since the previous September. As a result Tipperary were entitled to win and win well. They duly did, by 2-22 to 1-13. Afterwards everyone went home for tea and soon forgot the afternoon.

The obvious touchstone for tonight, then, is not that comprehensive Tipperary win of 2015 at Semple Stadium but rather Kilkenny’s more comprehensive win at Nowlan Park in 2009. The backstory is worth recounting because it contains a resonance for this evening.