WHILE the pairings at senior level are a rarity, for the fourth time this decade Kilkenny and Wexford meet in the Leinster minor hurling championship showpiece.
Among the interesting sub-plots to Sunday's clash is the fact that five Good Counsel, New Ross students could possibly feature for Kilkenny in their starting fifteen.
Kilkenny panelists Walter Walsh, Ian Duggan, Joe Lyng, Ger Aylward and James Cassi
n have all passed through the gates of the famed Wexford nursery, but of those Aylward is rated as a major doubt.
"Ger is a major, major concern with a dislocated finger while Geoff Brennan (broken toe) is touch and go. Pretty much everyone else is in good shape explained Mulrooney", who added, "we had a decent workout on Monday night."
The Kilkenny manager will put his crew through their paces in light sessions on Wednesday and Friday, but it's likely the Cats will hold off naming their team until the weekend.
Contention
Interestingly, Dicksboro attacker Martin Gaffney - who hasn't played a competitive game this year - is back in contention after a serious cruciate injury.
"It's great to have Martin involved again and we'll ease him back into things. Likewise Sean Phelan is not considered due to the injury he picked up against an under-21 selection recently.
"Sean was severely concussed and under the advice of Bill Cuddihy the lad is under orders to rest for a month, but he will be available soon."
Including Gaffney, five of the Kilkenny side which beat Wexford in the 2008 Leinster final, are in the reckoning this time round.
As far as Mulrooney is concerned there's not a chance that Sunday's final will be anything like the one-sided affair of twelve months ago.
"Having beaten Dublin, Wexford put a big score beyond Laois last Wednesday night and many of this Wexford team have already beaten Kilkenny at underage level.
"Last season Wexford's under-16's defeated our counterparts quite comfortably so they will not be short of confidence", warned Mulrooney.
"Sure we beat Wexford in the Leinster final but a lot of it was down to a good bit of form right at the start of the second half, and eventually we won by ten points.
"It was a strange result because Wexford pushed us all the way in the League, and later on in the year they were back to their best and deserved to beat Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, although they were unlucky that time out."
Thanks to substitutions and blood subs, Kilkenny used 21 players in their demolition of Westmeath.
"We really hit form at the beginning of the second half and overall I was happy with roughly 45 of our sixty minutes", said Mulrooney.
Opportunity
Paul Holden was the last panellist introduced in a temporary capacity while the likes of Cassin, Duggan, Cathal English, James Corcoran and Luke Harney all got an opportunity to stake their claim for a starting place.
Not since their 1985 final defeat of the Cats have Wexford triumphed against Kilkenny, and after emphatic recent wins over Westmeath and Offaly Richie Mulrooney's crew are aiming to make it two in a row.
While Kilkenny are gunning for their fifty-third provincial crown Wexford haven't won a Leinster title in almost 25 years
ESB Leinster MHC Final Kilkenny v Wexford (2.15pm).
Referee: David Hughes (Carlow).
Kilkenny panel: (Team to be named after training on Friday night). From: John Power (Carrickshock), Liam Lacey (St.Patricks), Ian Duggan (Mullinavat), Luke Harney (Kilmacow), Jason Corcoran (John Lockes), Willie Phelan(Dunnamaggin), Danny Kenny (Dicksboro), Joe Lyng (Rower/Inistioge), Padraig Gahan (Mullinavat), Richie Doyle (Barrow Rangers), James Gannon (St Patricks), Cillian Buckley (Dicksboro), Geoff Brennan (St Patricks), James Cassin (Rower/Inistioge), Cathal Kenny (Barrow Rangers), Sean Kehoe (Young Irelands), Ollie Walsh (Dicksboro), Canice Maher (St. Martins) (Capt), Walter Walsh (Tullogher/Rosbercon), Ger Aylward (Glenmore), Cathal English(Barrow Rangers), Paul Holden (Young Irelands), Martin Gaffney (Dicksboro), Sean Phelan (Lisdowney).
