Tipperary and Kilkenny are no strangers to reaching finals and they are equally familiar at facing each other in showcase events.
The pair will meet for their 10th final in the last decade at Nowlan Park this Sunday as they contest the Allianz Hurling League final.
Tipperary midfielder Brendan Maher is chasing his first Hurling League title as he and his teammates aim to secure an historic win at the home of their rivals.
And Maher shared his determination to end his county’s unwanted record at Nowlan Park.
“It’s definitely a factor and it’s an added motivation for us, we want to put that right,” Maher told Off The Ball’s Oisin Langan.
“We don’t want to be known as the team that hasn’t had a win in Nowlan Park. Its extra motivation but it can’t be our sole focus.
“It would be foolish for us to think about those things because at the end of the day it’s a game and 15 on 15.
“The rivalry and the tradition of the two teams will say this is going to be a belter of a game and something we can look forward to.
“But at the end of the day we want to win.”
The meeting between the two sides has reignited talk of the two counties re-emerging as the game’s strongest duo.
But Maher feels the Premier men have never been too far away from producing their best form.
“I suppose there was a perception that Kilkenny weren’t the team they were and we [Tipperary] had a good team a couple of years ago, but we’re not sure where they’re at now,” Maher added.
“In our head we were always there. We were close to being in an All-Ireland last year but for a puck of the ball. And Kilkenny were no different, they lost in extra-time to Waterford, they could have easily have gone to an All-Ireland final as well.
“It’s small margins and that’s the way it is in inter-county hurling and this is the 10th national final between the two sides. Over the last two decades we have been the top two teams.
“But Kilkenny have been number one and we’ve been second fiddle to them and we want to try and take one step closer to them on Sunday.”
Written by James Hopper
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