Wexford v Clare

The hurling championship was in existence for 115 years before it threw up a meeting between Clare and Wexford and now they can't stop bumping into one ...

Improving their lamentable record against Clare would be a real and tangible sign of progress and really light a fire under Egan's reign. When Wexford won the All-Ireland in 1996, Clare weren't around to halt them, having fallen victim to Ciaran Carey's charge of the light brigade in the sweltering heat of the Gaelic Grounds. That famous game was, according to Loughnane in an interview with Joe Molloy, the first time Munster hurling people had encountered the phenomenon of bottled water, which was perceived as pure sand to the Arabs stuff at time. After Clare won the All-Ireland in '95, he descended on the town to sample the homecoming, partly due to familial ties and partly, it seemed, to derive some inspiration by osmosis. "I just feel it's a shame it never happened that time," Griffin told the Irish Independent ahead of their rather more drab inaugural encounter five years later. The incident remains shrouded in some mystery. Last year, they did recover to give the match a decent rattle after a horrible first quarter. They bonded as fellow insurgents in the 90s, both throwing off the yoke of their respective oppressors. Indeed, Wexford were at that time Exhibit A in why the league didn't matter - a mantle which has since been claimed by Waterford. During the league, all the talk was that Darragh Egan had found the perfect blend between his predecessor's short-ball game and a more traditional approach. Whether it was merely an inspired backs-to-the-wall last stand or a hint of things to come, we will find out more on Saturday. Many observers had mentally consigned Wexford's 2022 campaign to oblivion after their seemingly disastrous draw away to Westmeath in Round 4 of the round robin. And Brian Lohan's side are set to re-acquaint themselves with Wexford for the third year running.