Kilkenny and Limerick host the biggest hurling games of the year so far this Sunday with major interest in how rejuvenated Wexford will cope with the challenge of Tipperary, the reigning All Ireland senior hurling champions.
The counties meet for the first time in the Allianz Hurling League since 2011 when they drew in a Division 1 clash.
Tipp are bidding to reach the Allianz Hurling League final as All-Ireland champions for the time since 1992, when they lost to Limerick.
Apparantly there is quite an appetite in Premier to add League honours to the medal haul of the current crop of players given the fact that Tiobraid Arann haven't won the Allianz Hurling League since 2008.
Stats can alarm you at times and its not so much that Wexford last won the title since 1973 that worried me.
It's the fact that the Model county last reached the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final in 1993, losing to Cork in a second replay.
I was at the match(es). Needless to say just out of baby infants with my Dad(!) and can't believe it was that long ago.
St. Martins clubman John O Connor had two opportunities to win the trophy with late frees. Events I'm sure he has replayed in his mind several times since.
Now, Wexford are really motoring under Davy who has the capacity to enable teams under his command to take flight where others might have failed.
Loch Gorman have won all six Allianz Hurling League games this year and whatever happens in the future when the history of hurling is written Davy will get a fair few paragraphs.
Some great insights on his thinking were provided in an interview published on gaa.ie.
Is Davy mellowing in front of our very own eyes? We'll see how mellow he is when Tipperary v Wexford, throws in at Nowlan Park, 4.0 Sunday. (See you there.)
After spending spring in Division 1B Limerick boss John Kiely will be looking to see signs that his charges will be able to deal with stern tests this summer when they take to their home turf on Sunday.
The Tribesmen and the Shannonsiders meet for the second time in three weeks, with Galway having won by 0-24 to 1-18 in the final round of 1B games on March 26.
Shane Dowling (0-11) and Joe Canning (0-10) were top marksmen in a game where Limerick led by a point at half-time and we can expect a similarly close encounter this weekend.
Galway last won the Allianz Hurling League title in 2010, which was also the last year they reached the final, while Limerick, whose last Allianz Hurling League title success was in 1997, last reached the final in 2006, losing to Kilkenny.
You'd fancy Galway to advance here as they look to have more gamechangers but a win for Limerick would be a huge shot in the arm and a result like that could indicate that a spell in the lower division might be no bad thing.
Limerick v Galway, throws in at the Gaelic Grounds at 2.0 Sunday.
