Limerick and Kilkenny's All-Ireland final clash last summer was one for the ages. Bryan Keane/INPHO
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Limerick and Kilkenny take centre stage: Allianz Hurling League final talking points

Hurling heavyweights meet in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday for the latest instalment of their gripping rivalry.

1. Limerick’s Allianz League excellence

The All-Ireland heroics of this Limerick team have been well-documented, collecting the Liam MacCarthy Cup four times in the last five championships — but their consistency extends to earlier in the season as well.

A win on Sunday would deliver a third Allianz League title under John Kiely’s watch, all achieved since early 2019.

It would elevate Limerick alongside Cork in the roll of honour on 14 titles apiece (Tipperary and Kilkenny each have 19), while again serving as a springboard for the summer ahead.

2. Derek Lyng takes charge

The 2002 final was the first of a staggering ten Allianz League titles that Kilkenny teams won with Brian Cody at the helm, just one more statistic which reinforces how golden an era the county enjoyed under the master.

Cody’s departure marks a notable shift, yet Derek Lyng can be satisfied with how his first campaign in charge has unfolded. A Round 2 loss to Tipperary was the only misstep taken by Lyng’s team and there was plenty to admire in their semi-final dismissal of Cork.

Lyng is no stranger to Allianz League final victories, with five as a player and two as a selector already to his name. Adding to that list as a manager would be something to savour.

3. The renewal of acquaintances

Limerick and Kilkenny are no strangers to each other. There is a recurring theme of late that has seen the pair serve up epic collisions in the hurling championship.

Kilkenny held their nerve in a qualifier in Nowlan Park in 2017, triumphing 0-20 to 0-17. Then Limerick won a breakout game for their squad in the 2018 All-Ireland quarter-final in 2018 in Thurles, 0-27 to 1-22. Revenge was served up by Kilkenny in the 2019 All-Ireland semi-final, overturning them 1-21 to 2-17.

And then there was the breathless All-Ireland final last summer, Limerick winning an extraordinary encounter that featured daring score-taking, 1-31 to 2-26, to leave the recent championship record at 2-2.

Sunday’s decider is the latest instalment, a first Allianz League final between the two counties since 2006 when Kilkenny had six points to spare. The renewal of acquaintances is packed with potential.

4. Silverware showdown on Leeside

While the focus is swiftly moving to championship elsewhere, the Allianz League decider is no small matter with a hard-earned national title and silverware up for grabs.

If one side needs that boost more than the other, perhaps it’s Kilkenny — whatever about gaining a psychological edge over all-conquering Limerick, an early title would provide the perfect platform for Lyng’s reign.

Some eyebrows may have been raised when Páirc Uí Chaoimh was announced as the venue for this one, with Semple Stadium booked for football. But those who travel to the Leeside stadium should be in for a treat.

Expect an intense, fiery encounter as the two heavyweights and in-form teams go head-to-head for mid-season supremacy

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