Kilkenny v Tipperary:THE FINAL piece in the jigsaw. This Kilkenny under-21 side crushed an over-hyped Dublin revolt in Leinster earlier this summer.
It was in Parnell Park and TJ Reid was quiet all evening. Richie Hogan - we shall have to stop referring to him as DJ's cousin soon enough - and his brother Paddy donned the mantle that night. Colin Fennelly and Nicky Cleere, as is their wont, combined for six further points.
It was an emphatic, ruthless performance. You may be unfamiliar with the cast. That's because none of them have broken into the senior team yet.
We are, after all, dealing with the deepest well of talent the sport of hurling has witnessed. Next they overawed Offaly to reclaim the provincial crown they let slip last season, Reid showing up on this occasion with 1-3.
Then it went quiet for a while as senior matters took precedence. The under-21s were largely unaffected; only Richie Hogan and Reid are part of Brian Cody's panel. When Martin Comerford fractured a leg last Sunday, Reid bounded onto the field, scoring four points to keep the desperately fragile-looking Waterford hurlers pinned to the canvass.
Kevin Moran received a yellow card near the finish for belting Reid with a wild pull from behind and for a brief instant it looked like the Ballyhale Shamrocks lad wouldn't be able to grip a hurley this week. But he has recovered.
The semi-final against Galway was the real statement of intent. Joe Canning brought a Galway side out to play but Hogan eclipsed the western prodigy with 2-4 from play, making up for five wides from placed balls.
Hogan has the cut of a pocket battleship. He is expected to become one of Cody's preferred six forwards in 2009 and stay there for a long time.
The same goes for Reid but maybe not until 2010.
Tipperary cannot be ignored, however. They had too much for Limerick, then Clare in Munster, before easily dismissing Derry in a mismatched semi-final.
There is All-Ireland minor-winning pedigree from 2006 and 2007 at work here. Pa Bourke will punish Kilkenny from placed ball, while Shane Bourke and Séamus Callanan drop down from the senior forward line. Thomas Stapleton will need to make his presence felt at centre back. He usually does. Rookie manager Declan Carr will have them well primed.
Tipp last tasted national success at this grade in 1995 when Brendan Cummins tended goal in the 1-14 to 1-10 defeat of Kilkenny.
But Kilkenny chase a unique collection of silverware. They hitched the minor All-Ireland onto the senior success last Sunday. They have already taken the intermediate title. This is for the full set.
With no starting seniors in the group it would be easy to talk them down but not if you've seen them at work. A Tipp win would be beneficial to hurling's equilibrium but these young Kilkenny men will be determined to finish the job. They seem well set.
TIPPERARY:M Ryan; M Cahill, P Maher, K Maher; K Lanigan, T Stapleton, B Maher; G Ryan, S Hennessy (captain); P Maher, S Callinan, T McGrath; P Bourke, M O'Meara, S Bourke.
KILKENNY:C McGrath; P Murphy, K Joyce, E O'Shea; L Ryan, P Hogan, N Prendergast; J Dowling (captain), N Walsh; C Fennelly, N Cleere, TJ Reid; M Ruth, J Mulhall, R Hogan.
Referee:J Owens (Wexford).
