I was only a chap myself when these teams last met in a national hurling league semi-final.
But here we are, Cork and Kilkenny facing off in the semis for the first time since 1986, while their last meeting in the League was in 2019.
Kilkenny won that last league meeting by seven points, more recently, they met in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final when Cork won by 1-37 to 1-32 after extra-time.
Cork is bidding to reach the Division 1 final for the first time since 2015 when they lost to Waterford. They last won the title in 1998.
Kilkenny was last in the final in 2018, which they won. They were joint winners with Galway last year.
Places in the finals in all divisions will be on the line this weekend and there are also relegation issues to be decided as the Allianz hurling League heads towards its climax.
It’s two each from Leinster and Munster in the Division 1 semi-finals while Antrim faces Offaly in the relegation play-off.
Paths to the Semi Final
KILKENNY
- Kilkenny 2-15 Antrim 3-9
- Tipperary 1-19 Kilkenny 1-18
- Kilkenny 2-28 Laois 0-17
- Kilkenny 2-23 Dublin 0-16
- Kilkenny 2-21 Waterford 0-21
Played 5, Won 4, Lost 1
Average For: 2-21
Average Against: 1-16
Top Scorers
- Alan Murphy ………0-23 (0-17 frees)
- Martin Keoghan……3-8
- Padraig Walsh………0-15
- Walter Walsh………..1-10
- John Donnelly………..0-11 (0-7 frees)
CORK
- Cork 2-30 Clare 2-21
- Cork 4-25 Offaly 1-15
- Cork 2-19 Limerick 1-13
- Cork 1-26 Galway 0-23
- Wexford 1-22 Cork 1-17
Played 5, Won 4, Lost 1
Average For: 2-24
Average Against: 1-19
Top Scorers
- Shane Kingston… 4-20 (0-12 frees, 0-1 ‘65’)
- Patrick Horgan…..1-22 (0-14 frees, o-3 ‘65s’)
- Conor Lehane…….1-11 (0-3 frees)
- Mark Coleman……0-13 (0-7 frees)
- Darragh Fitzgibbon..1-9
