Kilkenny forward Ed McDermott. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
oneills.com All-Ireland U-20 hurling championship final
Kilkenny v Tipperary, UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, 3pm, TG4
Kilkenny were at their ease throughout Leinster, beating Dublin twice with relative ease and overcoming Wexford and Laois too.
They couldn't have done any more but Tipperary will surely feel the more tested of the two. They topped the Munster group with wins over Cork, Clare and Waterford before beating Clare again in the provincial final.
Since losing their opening game to Limerick, Tipp are unbeaten and have perhaps the most impressive young forward in the game in Darragh McCarthy.
It's a local derby of sorts between two counties whose minor sides met in last year's decider. Home advantage for Kilkenny is significant though not overly so as Tipp players are very familiar with the ground too.
The Tipp minors played there in the 2022 and 2024 finals and Tipp's U-20s lost last year's final there, to Offaly.
Eoghan Lyng, Aaron McEvoy, free-taker Michael Brennan and the quietly effective Ed Lauhoff are all big players for Kilkenny. Watch out for another Anthony Ireland Wall substitute cameo too.
