Waterford kingpins Ballygunner face Tipperary's Kilruane MacDonaghs in the AIB Munster Club Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-Final on Sunday.
The imperious gunners stormed to a ninth consecutive title in Waterford over seven weeks ago and will be raring to start the defence of the Munster title this weekend.
However, standing in their way is a defiant Kilruane MacDonagh side who sealed their first Tipperary crown in 37 years last weekend.
AIB Munster Club SHC Quarter-Final - @ballygunnerHc v @MacDonaghsGAA - Sunday November 6th at 1:30pm in Walsh Park Waterford
Match will be shown live on @SportTG4
Tickets available to buy in advance - no cash sales at the venuehttps://t.co/UF8OW6T8Q2 pic.twitter.com/NqYpydciib
— Munster GAA (@MunsterGAA) November 3, 2022
The Tipperary men will have a short turnaround after their celebrations in claiming Dan Breen, while the Ballygunner men have been sitting in wait for close to two months.
You can make an argument for being rusty, but given the physicality and athleticism of the reigning All-Ireland champions, they will be favourites on the day.
In contrast, an enormously proud team in Kilruane will not go down without a fight and the spirit of the late Dillon Quirke is still present within the ranks of all of the Premier county.
Dillon Quirke in Kilruane's thoughts all the way. Sheer class pic.twitter.com/GfmDd9a9bT
— Shane Brophy (@BrophShane) October 30, 2022
They do have injury doubts over key players like Niall O’Meara, Kian O’Kelly and Jack Peters and selection does not even guarantee optimum fitness.
On top of the list is Craig Morgan, who would surely have been tasked to tackle the brilliant Dessie Hutchinson, and is, unfortunately, absent with a ruptured cruciate.
Ballygunner, on the other hand, appears to have a clean bill of health and this only adds to the feeling that it will take a monumental effort to dethrone them on the day.
Throw-in is at 1.30 pm in Walsh Park, Waterford, with the game also being aired live on TG4.
