SATURDAYAllianz NHL, Division One A: Cork v Tipperary, Páirc Uí Rinn, 7.0 – Live on Setanta 1

Last year’s defeated All-Ireland semi-finalists get the Division One campaign under way with different agendas. New Tipp manager Eamon O’Shea (right) wants to win the league whereas Jimmy Barry-Murphy wants to trial a wider range of players than last season.

In terms of improvement Cork need to find a more menacing attack than they were able to come up with last year and Tipperary have to find the momentum and consistency of three years ago for fear of having nothing more to show for all that promise than one All-Ireland.

It looks like Pádraic Maher is going to be housed at centre back with Conor O’Mahony (injured today) to be tried at full back, as O’Shea copes with the reality that he doesn’t have a bottomless well of playing resources and looks to optimise the configuration.

Cork may well be the more driven team but Tipp’s need to get motoring can get the first few miles behind them tonight.