1. TJ v Horgan at top of the charts
A significant element of this season will be it sit back and watch two of the greatest-ever forwards switch the mantle of the highest-scoring championship hurler.
Two weeks ago, Patrick Horgan was ahead of TJ Reid. His eight points against Tipperary was a great day’s work, but Reid mowed down Antrim on his own the following day with 2-10 to narrow the margin to two points.
Horgan sits at 598 points (22-532); Reid at 596 (30-506). The man in stripes will overtake him, surely, when they meet in Nowlan Park on Saturday evening’s game.
Equally, it would be a surprise if Horgan does not wrestle himself back up to the top of the tree the day after, when Cork face Clare in Ennis.
2. Big love for TJ in the club
Little wonder then, when we asked Reid’s Ballyhale club mate Michael Fennelly about where he ranks about the Henry’s and DJs and further afield, he was glowing midweek.
“He’s up there at the top, to be fair. There could be one or two or three others in the game. It depends on what generation and what era you are looking at,” said Fennelly.
“He’s one of our best, without a doubt and the fact that he is still doing it. His body… He’s probably hurt a little over the last six or seven months in terms of Ballyhale and Kilkenny, he is carrying niggles that can be difficult to train.
“But he is still there, he is still a huge factor in our team at the moment in terms of his ability to win his own ball, how he can offload. His free-taking ability. He is integral to Kilkenny still at that age, which is impressive.”
3. Limerick response
It’s not like they Limerick have never been beaten in championship under John Kiely. It just feels that way.
In finding their feet in his first year in charge, 2017, they lost to Clare and Limerick. The following year, The Banner got the better of them again, but it was a mere flesh wound as they went on to claim their first Liam MacCarthy since 1973.
Cork and Kilkenny put a halt to their gallop in 2019, a year they were stripped of their national title,
Incredibly, that was their last championship defeat before that pesky group of Clare men again a fortnight ago.
The odd thing is that a Cork win over Clare, and a loss to Tipperary this weekend could spell curtains for Limerick, out of the hurling championship in mid May.
The backs are to the wall, Tipperary and coming locked and loaded. Good job it’s live on RTÉ!
4. Wexford backlash incoming
It’s been a year in the making, but there are many in Wexford hurling that never want to experience what they did, this weekend last year.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, veteran Westmeath substitute Derek McNicholas popped up with an unlikely goal just when it seemed that Wexford had just about scraped over the line.
On the sideline, manager Joe Fortune threw his arms in the air in ecstasy.
Westmeath had drawn a game in the Leinster championship. Any of the bluebloods of the sport would scoff at such a result, but it was – rightly – a huge deal for those involved.
And so Westmeath make the journey to Chadwick’s Wexford Park this Saturday. If they manage the same feat, then Wexford are out of the All-Ireland series.
5. The Rebel alliance
Were Cork just haunted to get their first two games at home?
It could always be better of course. An opening day when they outclassed Waterford was followed by that classic that will forever be remembered as the day the mob went after GAA GO.
Still unbeaten, still developing nicely, still plenty of patience there for them, but now it all appears an uphill task. Clare can be a flinty bunch of yokes at the best of times, but having beaten Limerick there will be a huge shot of confidence running through them now.
And if Cork lose that? Hoping to get a result away to Limerick in the final round of games.
Munster hurling is some tough station.
