Galway v Kilkenny, Tullamore, 4pm

Sunday, June 22

Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Semi-FinalGalway v Kilkenny, Tullamore, 4pm - Live on RTÉ and GAAGo

At Tullamore on Sunday, Galway and Kilkenny meet for the first time in the championship since they dished up three thrilling games in 2012. It's also the first really big game of the 2012 Leinster Championship, pitting two of the favourites for the crown in direct opposition with a place in the provincial decider on July 6 in Croke Park on the line.

Reigning champions Dublin await the winners in the Leinster final, but for now this game is all about each side re-establishing their credentials after very poor 2013 campaigns. Kilkenny were beaten by Dublin in Leinster and then Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, while Galway fell to Dublin in the Leinster final and then bowed out of the All-Ireland series meekly by losing meekly to Clare in the last eight.

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Having dominated the 2012 season, Kilkenny and Galway will be hoping to have much more of an influence on the destination of both the Bob O'Keeffe and Liam MacCarthy Cups this summer.

The sides have met five times in the championship since 2009, with Kilkenny winning three, Galway one (remember the 2012 Leinster final?) and of course they drew the first time out in the 2012 All-Ireland final. They have met 11 times in the Cody era (since 1999), with Galway also recording wins over the Cats in the All-Ireland semi-finals of 2001 and 2005.

Both have played quarter-finals, but Kilkenny were far more impressive in theirs, beating an admittedly weak Offaly side by 5-32 (the greatest ever championship total under Cody) to 1-18 in Nowlan Park on an evening when Eoin Larkin (2-4) and Colin Fennelly (1-6) did most of the damage up front. Of the new players introduced, Mark Kelly hit two goals, Brian Kennedy was hauled off before the break and Pádraig Walsh did enough at wing-back to merit inclusion again.

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody is likely to make further changes when he announces his team on Friday night. Henry Shefflin has recovered from the foot fracture that kept him out the last day and will hope to force his way into attack, while Richie Power has recovered from a hamstring injury and is also in contention . TJ Reid damaged a knee the last day and there are doubts over his availability.

Galway's 1-22 to 0-23 quarter-final win over Laois was as unimpressive as it sounds. It was a desperately close call for Galway, who led by 1-3 to 0-0 early on before being hit by a Laois points avalanche. Laois led by 0-16 to 1-7 at the interval and were going well in the third quarter before Galway asserted themselves and finally edged home by two points. Conor Cooney was Galway's top scorer on 0-7 (0-3 frees), followed by Jason Flynn on 0-3 and Jonathon Glynn on 1-0.

Galway have a number of injury concerns going into the game. Joe Cooney is struggling with a knee problem, while Niall Healy (cruciate) and Cyril Donnellan (groin) are more long-term absentees.

As usual, Joe Canning has been at the centre of the build-up, with former manager Ger Loughnane urging him on the Sunday Game to prove he is more than just his media profile and even Kilkenny legend Charlie Carter suggesting it's time for the Portumna man to 'stand up and deliver'. In fact, Canning has pretty much always delivered against Kilkenny, hitting an incredible 4-39 (0-9, 1-9, 1-10, 0-2, 2-9) in his last five championship games against the Cats.

Cody says he was impressed by Galway's refusal to panic against Laois and, perhaps with some of his previous encounters against the Tribesmen in mind, says games between the two are usually all about what happens on the day.

"The result wasn't a surprise as many would have expected Galway to win that game. Regardless of that game, over the last number of years, Kilkenny and Galway has been an on-the-day thing," Cody said in the Kilkenny People this week. "Whichever team is spot on usually wins the game. We're both capable of winning it."

And who could argue with that assertion when you think back to the 2012 Leinster final, a game Galway won by 2-21 to 2-11, completely wiping out the Cats with an awesome first half performance in Croke Park? It's also worth remembering that Galway went into that game having struggled past Westmeath and Offaly in the previous rounds.

Galway attacker Niall Healy, who will miss the rest of the season with a cruciate knee injury, referenced that game during the week and says the Tribesmen have to recreate the intensity they showed that day.

"That day against Kilkenny, they were wired to the moon going out," he told the Connacht Tribune. "I think they just have to get back to the same attitude as that. They just need to be wired up going out on Sunday, if they can. Whatever lads did two years ago, they have to get up to the same level. That is what they are going to need to do to beat Kilkenny."

Kilkenny manager Cody and Galway manager Anthony Cunningham will both name their teams after training in Friday night.

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Preview: Brian Murphy