SIX months ago, an unforgettable second half – or, from a Cork perspective, a deeply forgettable one – saw the Rebels fall short in the All-Ireland hurling final against Tipperary, eventually losing by 15 points.

In that nightmare spell, Cork managed just two points. No, that’s not a typo.

Revenge will be on the minds of Cork supporters as they face the Premier County in Division 1A this Saturday night in Páirc Uí Chaoimh (7.30pm).

Both sides come into the clash on the back of two opening-round league wins, adding another edge to a fixture that hardly needs it. A comprehensive victory over Waterford (3-25 to 1-17) and a hard-earned win away to Galway (2-20 to 1-21) have ensured Ben O’Connor’s tenure has started brightly.

There have been question marks over Cork’s aggression in recent years, but their tough tackling against Galway – conceding 21 frees compared to the Tribesmen’s five – suggested a team that has turned a corner.

Given the backdrop to this weekend’s Tipperary clash, the intensity may rise another notch. The challenge for this Cork side now is to keep their discipline.

On another day, tackles from Mark Coleman and Robert Downey could have resulted in red cards last weekend, and there has been a dismissal in both of the previous meetings between these Munster rivals – Darragh McCarthy of Tipperary in the Munster round robin and Eoin Downey for Cork in the All-Ireland final.

One clear positive so far has been Cork’s shooting accuracy. Against Waterford, the Rebels converted 28 of their 41 shots (68 percent), while that figure rose to 22 from 31 (70 percent) against Galway.

Even without retired legend Patrick Horgan, Cork’s shooting has been impressive.

Free-taking without Horgan remains a concern, however. Cork have taken 11 frees so far but converted just five. Alan Connolly has struck eight of those, with Darragh Fitzgibbon, Mark Coleman and Declan Dalton also stepping up. Connolly has landed only half of his attempts. It’s early days, but it’s an area that needs improvement, especially with the likes of Tipperary, Limerick and Clare boasting reliable free-takers.

Whatever the numbers say, Saturday night promises a titanic battle, even if it is ‘only’ a league game.

Tickets for the North and South Stands at Cork GAA HQ have sold out, with the Blackrock Terrace again in use, as it was for the Waterford match. A crowd of 25,000 is expected, which would set a record for a standalone hurling league game – the current mark is 23,402, set when Cork played Limerick last year.

The rivalry. The teams. The storyline. All the ingredients are there for a cracker. It’s exactly the test Ben O’Connor’s men need.