This year's Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League final in division one promises be a real cracker between two dominant sides in Ireland.
Galway, current All Ireland champions, square up to Cork, who are bidding for their first league title since 2013, having lost to Galway in 2015, and Kilkenny in 2017/18.
Topping group two, opponents Cork, disposed of Clare and Limerick, and drew with Kilkenny 1-08, while Galway enjoyed an unblemished run in group one, with wins over Tipperary, Dublin, Down and Offaly.
This is a repeat of last year's All Ireland final between the two counties, Cork will be in determined mood to topple the current All Ireland champions Galway.
Galway dominated the recent 2021 Camogie All-Stars team, with eight players taking home an All-Stars award, while Galway's Aoife Donohue won the Camogie Association/GPA Senior Players’ Player of the Year award, and manager Cathal Murray also won the Manager of the Year award.
Now Murray will be looking to those All Stars, goalkeeper Sarah Healy, defenders Shauna Healy and Sarah Dervan, midfielder Niamh Kilkenny and forwards Aoife Donohue, Siobhan McGrath, Orlaith McGrath and Ailish O’Reilly, to help steer the Galway outfit to their sixth league crown.
En route to the final Galway were comprehensive 1-15 to 0-06 winners over Dublin and 4-17 to 0-8 over Down. Tipperary provided a tougher test before the Galway women prevailed 1-11 to 0-13 before completing the pool stages with another easy 2-21 to 1-8 win over Offaly.
However, they will not have it so easy on Saturday, and as always they will be wary of Paudie Murray's well-drilled Rebels outfit, whose never-say-die attitude ensured their place in the final through a Chloe Sigerson 55m free in stoppage time.
Having met just a few months ago in last year's All-Ireland showdown, Galway know Cork will be looking for revenge, which will ensure a hugely competitive final.
Selector and camogie legend Therese Maher will have fond memories of captaining Galway to victory in against Cork in 2005 when Galway prevailed 1-06 to 0-06 in a hard-fought final, and she will be hoping her niece and trusted freetaker Carrie continues her scoring form to help Galway to a sixth title.
Throw-in at Croke Park is at 7pm with the game live on RTE 2 and will be preceded by the division two decider when Antrim will take on Wexford.
