The promise shown by the current Limerick team is one of the reasons this has been a worthwhile National Hurling League. They travel to Thurles on a high. Twelve months ago Limerick were in disarray and trying to muddle along without the services of their footballers. But they bounced back during the championship qualifiers, gave a good account of themselves in the All Ireland quarter-final and are still motoring, having enjoyed their most fulfilling spring for many a year.

They enter today's fray unbeaten in 2006. The footballers have returned to the hurling fold. Forty steps forward, only one small step back.

The small step back is Peter Lawlor, an All Star nominee last season. Can someone talk sense to him? Can he talk sense to himself? Sport is such a fragile, fleeting journey. It will be a shame if Lawlor isn't seen again in the green and white this year.

Imagine if Limerick had had the footballers against Kilkenny at Croke Park last July. Imagine if they'd had Mark Keane to take the frees. Keane is a particularly good free-taker . . . something Limerick lacked in 2005 . . . and on those grounds alone would have more than paid his way. Every top-class team has to have a top-class free-taker.

Even if he does nothing else, a deadball expert is worth a couple of points per game.

The return of Brian Begley is also good news. While he's not getting full matches (he was taken off at half-time against Waterford last Sunday), he's definitely an addition around the enemy square. He will be in time, at any rate. Remember the case of Brian Corcoran, who came back from retirement to fulfil a similar role for Cork in 2004. It took Corcoran the entire summer to rediscover his touch. After so long away from the sport, Begley must also show patience. It could be that we won't see the best of him until 2007.

Another thing in Limerick's favour is that they know their best team.

They're not chopping and changing every week; they've a settled side right through the field, which is always a good sign. I'm not saying they'll win the All Ireland, but for the first time in ages with them, all the indicators are positive. Above all, they finally have a united camp. That's essential.

Clare might just have been the secondbest team in Ireland in the latter stages of last summer. There was one cameo from the All Ireland semi-final that still disturbs me on their behalf, however. Neil Ronan came on in the last quarter and exposed Brian Lohan, hitherto imperious against Brian Corcoran, at an extremely crucial time. If anything catches Clare out in the championship this year, it'll be a lack of pace on a dry sod. But that won't be a factor today.

Tony Carmody, the winner of the Hurler of the Month award for March, is developing nicely for them at centreforward. He was particularly impressive against Waterford at Walsh Park and forms part of an inordinately big half-forward line. The Limerick halfback line will not have met such physically imposing opponents before.

They'll be hard pressed to cope.

It's a tough game to call. I'll chance Limerick.

Going on the form book, I don't see Tipperary winning the second semifinal. That's not hugely important for them. What is hugely important for them is that they compete far better than they did against Kilkenny in Thurles two months ago. If Tipp do so and still end up losing by, say, four points, nobody will point the finger at them. A second successive hammering from Kilkenny, on the other hand, would definitely set them back for the championship and undo the confidence built up in the last couple of weeks.

It's great to see Babs back in his second coming. He's everything his media image suggests he is. Colourful, opinionated, often loud. Babs takes the predictability out of hurling. Although he was gone from Tipperary for 12 years, he shouldn't have any problems dealing with the new generation, for he's been dealing with the students of UCD for the past few seasons. And just as it's good for the health of hurling that Limerick have been making progress in recent months, so it's important that Tipp do well under Babs. Hurling needs them back near the top.

They still don't seem to be any nearer deciding who their first-choice centre-back is though. That said, there's a nice look to the full-forward line and I think there'd be an even nicer look if Seamus Butler were there, for the simple reason that Redser O'Grady looks to have more to offer as an impact sub than as a starter. But what will Thurles Sarsfields say if Babs rewinds the clock by dropping the Tipperary captain?

Plus ca change and all of that. . .Although it seems crazy to refer to Kilkenny as the dark horses of this league, that's exactly what they have been. Few people have been paying them close attention, which won't have displeased Brian Cody. They're unbeaten to date, they've won all bar one of their outings, they went straight into the semi-finals . . . and they did all this without the assistance of Henry Shefflin and Noel Hickey.

Kilkenny are rebuilding and rebuilding nicely. At this point in time, you'd have to say they're the biggest danger to Cork where the destination of the McCarthy Cup is concerned. Certainly they should carry too many guns for Tipperary today.