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Galway 3-25 Kilkenny 1-16

As days following the Galway hurlers go, last Saturday afternoon in Croke Park will take some beating. Long after the final whistle had sounded, a wave of maroon euphoria swept around GAA headquarters as a unique rendition of N17 echoed around the stadium.

Not since 2018, when Galway entered the championship as Liam MacCarthy holders, has there been this level of excitement and optimism surrounding the senior hurlers ahead of championship.

Championship changes everything. The margin for error disappears, the intensity lifts a notch and every decision — on and off the field — carries that bit more weight.

Galway hurling caught a glimpse of the future on a rain-lashed evening at FBD Semple Stadium as a youthful, energetic Tribesmen side put it right up to All-Ireland champions Tipperary, who needed a decisive late surge to secure a five-point opening-round League victory.

While the men in maroon have won four of the five previous meetings at this juncture of the championship they enter this encounter as underdogs, which may well suit Micheál Donoghue and his team.

Since his return to the helm as Galway senior hurling manager, Micheál Donoghue has been on the receiving end of four 12-point losses in just seven competitive outings - a statistic that provides an accurate summation of where his team lie in the current Liam MacCarthy food chain.

After falling to defeat for the first time to Kilkenny in the group stages of the Leinster senior hurling championship last Saturday afternoon, manager Micheál Donoghue admitted his displeasure with what was a very disappointing performance in the aftermath of a twelve-point loss in Nowlan Park.

The Galway senior hurlers return to National Hurling League action after two weekends off on Saturday afternoon when they travel to the south-east to take on Wexford at 5pm.

The Galway senior hurlers must dust themselves down quickly for a road trip to take on Leinster champions Kilkenny this Sunday afternoon in Nowlan Park (throw-in 1.45pm) after suffering a bruising 3-25 to 2-16 loss to Tipperary in round one of Division 1A of the National League in Pearse Stadium.