Since the beginning of 2019, the only Allianz Hurling League final not to feature Cork or Limerick was the 2024 edition, when Clare beat Kilkenny.
John Kiely’s side won in 2019, 2020 and 2023, while Cork lost out to Waterford in 2022 before ending a 27-year wait for the title last year as Tipperary were beaten in the decider (there was no league final in 2021 due to the compacted nature of the schedule as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic).
However, despite the Munster counties’ prominent presence in recent finals, Sunday’s clash at TUS Gaelic Grounds will be the first where they have met each other since 1980.
Whereas now the running of the competition is fairly streamlined in that the top two in each division reach the…