Cork v Waterford, Pairc Uí Rinn, 7.00pm

Saturday, February 25
Allianz Hurling League Division 1A
Cork v Waterford, Pairc Uí Rinn, 7.00pm

The 2012 Allianz Hurling League begins with a contest to savour between age-old Munster rivals Cork and Waterford under the lights at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Such is the recent history between the sides, this fixture requires little additional hype to attract the hurling public in either county, but the presence on the sidelines of two new managers ensures the beam of the spotlight will be especially intense on Saturday night.

On Leeside, in particular, there has been frenzied anticipation in the build-up, as it is the first competitive game of Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s second coming as manager. His first reign ended in 2000, when his side, then the All-Ireland champions, lost to Offaly in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Remarkably, three of the team that started that day – Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Donal Óg Cusack and Ben O’Connor – are still in Cork's starting line-up almost 12 years later, while another starter, Seánie McGrath, is one of Barry-Murphy’s selectors. 

The links to Cork’s glory days, started by Barry-Murphy in 1999, and built upon by Donal O’Grady and John Allen, remain strong, but most Leesiders will be fully aware that they have been left behind in recent seasons as Kilkenny and Tipperary have taken the game to a different level.

And still, despite the barren years of late, there is an unquestioning belief in Barry-Murphy’s almost mystical abilities as a manager. The cup of goodwill is brimming over in Cork, but the new manager has already sounded a few calming words to prick that bubble of expectation.

"To be perfectly honest, I'd say retaining Division 1A status would be a priority first of all. I'd be telling lies if I said otherwise," he said. "There's a lot of pressure to win your home games in particular. You have five high-pressure games and just to get the balance right in picking the team now will be difficult.”

Barry-Murphy’s first success as a senior inter-county manager came in the 1998 Allianz Hurling League, when he led Cork to victory over Waterford in the final. An All-Ireland title followed a year later, so nobody will be as aware of the role the league plays in blooding new players and laying the foundations for success as Barry-Murphy. Darren Sweetnam, the Leaving Cert student from Dohenys, is given his big chance in midfield, while Ross Cashman also makes he debut at centre-back. 

Remarkably, Cork and Waterford have met on 11 occasions including replays in the Championship since 2002, while their most recent Allianz League meeting resulted in a 0-18 to 0-17 victory for the Déise in Walsh Park last year. Few will ever forget the 2004 Munster final between the sides or the draw and replay in 2010, when Waterford reclaimed the Munster title in the dying light at Thurles.

Davy Fitzgerald has been and gone since then and Michael Ryan has taken over as Waterford manager. Gone too is Eoin Kelly, who has been released from the squad while John Mullane is expected back in mid-March after taking a break. Clinton Hennessy and Eoin Murphy have also retired and Brian O'Sullivan is focusing on his studies this year. Tony Browne, 38, returns for another year and could feature on Saturday. 

The new League format – five group games as opposed to seven last year – means Ryan won’t have as much time as he would have liked to experiment as points will be a precious commodity in Division I. With Kilkenny and Tipperary to come in their next two fixtures, two points would do very nicely at this early stage if they are to avoid getting bogged down in a battle with the drop.

Waterford have injury concerns over Shane Walsh, Noel Connors and Maurice Shanahan while Brian O'Halloran is out with a long-term problem. Cork are without Cian McCarthy and Niall McCarthy, and Bill Cooper is sidelined with a long-term problem.

Waterford and Cork are in the habit of playing out classics. With the Setanta cameras in town on Saturday night, the stage is set in Páirc Uí Rinn for yet another riveting chapter in this rivalry.