Cats come calling for Saturday night lights in the Pairc

NEXT Saturday night Cork’s senior hurlers will head into their first big test of the competitive season when they face up to Kilkenny in the second game of a Rebel league double header in Pairc Uí Chaoimh.

The reigning Munster Champions will host the aristocrats of Irish hurling looking to secure their first major success at the revamped venue since it opened its doors late last year.

Cork go into this game after a less than impressive pre-season which saw them lose to Limerick, Clare and famously Kerry in the Munster Hurling League however although the Cats have had a better start to their season they did go down to Davy Fitzgerald’s Wexford last weekend in the Walsh Cup Final – something that has grated on many in the Leinster county.

Brian Cody will bring his charges into Saturday night’s clash with a bit of a siege mentality around his side after a series of outbursts that have seen him in the headlines and sent to the stand in recent days.

Cody is the master tactician and is likely to do whatever it takes to get the next generation of Kilkenny stars back to where he and all Kilkenny supporters believe they should be – at the summit of national hurling.

For Cork, the first major senior tournament under the direction of John Meyler is likely to be a major talking point – regardless of the result this weekend after Kieran Kingston’s departure.

At this stage Meyler has had a few months with the senior squad, however, this will probably be the first time he gets to pick from a strong squad after putting out a host of young guns since the start of the

New Year.

Meyler will have to do without the

Kanturk contingent, Anthony Nash and

Co (as their All Ireland semi-final is down for decision on the same day in Newbridge) while Patrick Horgan is also unavailable due to his suspension from last year’s All Ireland semi-final, but Cork should still be in a position to name a strong enough side to challenge what are a seriously wounded Cats side.

Cork will look to bring in as many of the young stars that impressed last year with the likes of Luke Meade, Shane Kingston and Mark Coleman all likely to play some part over the next few weeks.

The decision by Eoin Cadogan to commit to the hurlers this term will also strengthen the side and it will also be interesting to see if Meyler has managed to pluck anyone from obscurity during the Munster League or will he have to more or less the same panel that played under Kingston last year.

Cork, and Meyler, will be heavily scrutinised this weekend after a 2017 season that caught many by surprise. Cork were magnificent in 2017 and rode the crest of a wave all the way to the All-Ireland semi-final, but since then the changes on and off the field means that this may well be a much more challenging season than the last.

Cork will be desperate to put in a good showing right from the off in the first real competitive fixture. A pair of early wins would do wonders for Cork’s season as a whole as this current bunch of Cork stars have shown already that they feed superbly off a positive, winning environment.

Early losses would heap extra pressure on the young Rebels with a couple of early defeats quite likely to lead to relegation and that should be unconscionable within the Cork camp.

Big tests will follow between now and mid-March however look past Kilkenny at your peril as this, or any other Kilkenny team, will put you to the sword if you take your eye off the job at hand.

The crowd will also play some part this weekend as Cork fans will look to get back out to support both the hurlers and footballers on Saturday with many others taking the opportunity to visit the salubrious new surroundings on the banks of the River Lee.

Big crowd with some serious protagonists – this Saturday has all the makings of a great start to the National Hurling League.