Afternoon all. Following on from yesterday’s liveblog double-whammy, we’ve another cracking day of live sport in store this afternoon.

I’ll be out in the Aviva Stadium press box later on this evening for the Carling Nations Cup finale but first, it’s All-Ireland Champions Tipperary versus Cork in the quarter-finals of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.

Team news coming up in just a second.

Tipperary: Cummins; Stapleton, Curran, Cahill; Young, Maher, O’Keeffe; Ryan, McGrath; Callanan, McGrath, Maher; Kelly (c), O’Brien, Corbett.

Cork: Cusack; McDonnell, Cadogan, O’Neill; Gardiner, Egan, Murphy; McLoughlin, Cronin; O’Connor, C McCarthy, N McCarthy; O’Farrell, O’Sullivan, Patrick Horgan.

Of course, this isn’t the only game this afternoon. Here’s a quick round-up of the results and the latest scores so far:

Dublin 2-21 Offaly 1-20 (FT)

London 1-04 Mayo 0-04 (HT)

Down vs. Derry, Armagh vs. Monaghan (both Ulster SHC) and Wexford vs. Antrim (Leinster SHC) all have 3:30pm throw-ins, so I’ll keep you posted as the scores trickle in.

Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that the photo accompanying this article was taken almost a year ago to the day when the two sides met in the Munster quarter-finals. Tipp were red-hot favourites, but Cork played them off the park and won by ten points, 3-15 to 0-14.

Can lightning strike twice?

One thing that can be said with a degree of certainty is that this should be a cracker. Tipp can call on no fewer than 12 All-Ireland winners today as they launch their title defence. With Eoin Kelly, Lar Corbett and John O’Brien leading the charge from the front, the Cork full-back line will have their hands full.

Denis Walsh has handed a Championship debut to Stephen McDonnell at corner back, with William Egan and Luke O’Farrell also making their bows in the competition.

The teams are out on the Semple Stadium pitch and the parade is just about finished, so we’re nearly ready to roll. Send your predictions in; I’ll say Tipp by three or four.

We’re running late by my watch but no matter – it gives me time to let you know that it’s Wexford 1-07 Antrim 1-06  in Wexford Park.

We’re off. Tipp play from left to right with the wind at their backs in this first half.

A smart save by Brendan Cummins denies Paudie O’Sullivan from close range. He deflects the ball behind for the game’s first 65 which is subsequently missed by John Gardiner.

Pat Horgan collects out on the left 40 yards from goal, turning his marker before slotting the game’s first point. Cork 0-01 Tipperary 0-00

Oooh, Pat Horgan is set free by Paudie O’Sullivan and has a glorious chance to get the game’s first goal. He fires low across Brendan Cummins’ goal and wide.

Tipp break down the other end where Eoin Kelly feeds Seamus Callanan to score. Cork 0-01 Tipperary 0-01

Lar Corbett needs a little bit of medical attention after picking up a facial cut. Pa Bourke comes on in his place as a blood sub, but Tipp will want him back on the field as quickly as possible.

We’re just eight minutes in, but Cork have already shot three wides. Niall McCarthy is the latest culprit. They’re making plenty of chances but they’ll need to be a bit more clinical with their shooting.

Niall McCarthy is the first to pounce on a loose ball in midfield and this time he makes no mistake in raising the white flag.

Tipp come straight back down the pitch, however, and Eoin Kelly levels things up again. Cork 0-02 Tipperary 0-02

Wonderful score by Seamus Callanan. There looks to be nothing on as Noel McGrath plays a short little pass to him on the right touchline, but he sends a sweet strike over Donal Og Cusack’s bar. Tipperary 0-03 Cork 0-02

Eoin Kelly claims Tipp’s first point from a dead-ball before Patrick “Bonnar” Maher follows it up with another.

Cian McCarthy keep Cork in touch with a nice point. The scores are coming thick and fast at the moment. Tipperary 0-05 Cork 0-03

Pat Horgan picks up his second of the day and, for all of Tipp’s dominance over these last five minutes, Cork have managed to keep in touch. Tipperary 0-05 Cork 0-04

Pat Horgan has his third of the day from a 50-metre free and the teams are level again after 18 minutes.

Ben O’Connor finds himself with an extra yard or two of space 40 yards from goal and he puts Cork into the lead with a well-taken point. Cork 0-06 Tipperary 0-05

Cork new boy Stephen McDonnell picks up a yellow card for an off-the-ball incident. Marking Lar Corbett, he could be in for a difficult afternoon now.

Eoin Kelly knocks over another free to tie things up again. Cork 0-06 Tipperary 0-06

Cork’s gameplan of playing low balls into their forwards out on the wings seems to be paying dividends so far. Niall McCarthy only needs a quick glance at the posts before knocking over a point to put Cork back into the lead. Cork 0-07 Tipperary 0-06

Twenty-four minutes gone and Pa Cronin registers Cork’s fifth wide. They really should be more than one point ahead here.

Eoin Kelly has a chance to level things again with a long, wind-assisted free but it drifts just left of the posts. That’s Tipp’s second wide of the afternoon.

Lar Corbett collects a long dropping ball on the by-line, creating the angle for John O’Brien to score. Tipperary 0-07 Cork 0-07

GOAL! Tipperary 1-07 Cork 0-07 (Corbett, 28′) That’s a wonderful piece of officiating by our referee Brian Gavin. Patrick Maher is pulled back as he breaks through on goal but, rather than pull play back for the free, Gavin allows Maher to go on who passes to Corbett to rifle home.

GOAL! Tipperary 2-08 Cork 0-07 (Kelly, 31′) That’s a wonderful individual goal by Tipp captain Eoin Kelly. Moments after slotting another free, Kelly rises highest to take Shane O’Neill’s early high ball. He cuts back inside and fires low into the bottom right corner, giving Donal Og Cusack no chance.

Noel McGrath gets his name on the scoresheet for the first time, hitting a lovely strike over his shoulder. Tipperary 2-09 Cork 0-07

Pat Horgan converts another free to pick up his fourth point of the game. He’s the only man in the Cork forward line to score so far according to my calculations.

He adds another simple free as the clock ticks into stoppage time, making it a six-point game. Tipperary 2-09 Cork 0-09

No sooner than I have the words typed then Paudie O’Sullivan pops up with his first score of the afternoon. Tipperary 2-09 Cork 0-10

That’s a brilliant strike by Noel McGrath, cutting a sideline ball over the bar. Tipperary 2-10 Cork 0-10

Eoin Kelly grabs another just before the break, taking his individual tally to 1-05 and extending Tipp’s lead to seven points.

HALF-TIME: Tipperary 2-11 Cork 0-10

I’m just off to make a cup of tea and check the scores from elsewhere. Back in a sec.

Well well well, how about this? They’ve gone into extra-time over in Ruislip after late points from Mortimer and McLoughlin levelled it up in injury time. It finished London 1-09 Mayo 0-12, but since then, Mayo’s superior fitness has started to tell, Andy Moran firing home points to put them 0-16 to 1-09 up.

I’ll keep you posted.

In the hurling, Wexford 2-16 Antrim 1-10, Down 1-07 Derry 1-06, and Armagh 1-08 Monaghan 1-03 are the other scores which I have to hand at the moment. They were all 3:30pm throw-ins so there’s not long left in any of those games.

Hang on a second, London have only gone and scored a goal over in Ruislip. There’s only a point in it at half-time in extra-time, London 2-09 Mayo 0-16.

I’m reliably informed that this would be London’s first Championship win in 34 years if they could pull it off. I’ll keep tabs on what’s going on in the second-half, don’t worry.

We’re back underway in Semple Stadium. Denis Walsh doesn’t appear to have made any changes, but if things don’t improve quickly, he will do I’d imagine.

Tipp are first off the mark in this second half, Patrick Maher handpassing into Seamus Callanan who extends The Premier’s lead. Tipperary 2-12 Cork 0-10

A couple of early frees have seen Mayo go three up over in Ruislip. Six minutes left to play. London 2-09 Mayo 0-18

Pat Horgan knocks over his sixth of the day and Cork cut the margin to seven points again. Tipperary 2-13 Cork 0-12

Pat Horgan is doing his best to keep Cork in this by himself. He’s not passing up any easy points and adds another free to his individual tally.

John Gardiner gets in on the act as well, cutting Tipp’s lead to five with a cracking strike from distance. It has been an encouraging beginning to this second half for the Rebels. Tipperary 2-13 Cork 0-14

Another Kelly free restores the margin to six in Tipp’s favour. Denis Walsh decides now is the time for a double-substitution, bringing on Jamie Nagle and Gerry O’Connor for Cian McCarthy and Shane O’Neill.

Lar Corbett adds a point to his earlier goal and it’s now Tipperary 2-15 Cork 0-14.

Ben O’Connor picks up his second of the day, but you get the feeling that Cork will need a goal if they are to really spark a comeback. Tipperary 2-15 Cork 0-15

Cork are certainly taking their chances in this half. Niall McCarthy sticks one between the uprights from distance to make it Tipperary 2-15 Cork 0-16.

That’s a wonderful block by Eoin Cadogan who may just have kept Cork in this game. Tipp midfielder Gearoid Ryan was just about to pull the trigger on what would surely have been a goal but Cadogan got just enough of his hurl on it and Tipp survive.

When the ball comes down the other end of the pitch, Pat Horgan scores his eighth point of the afternoon. Four point game. Tipperary 2-15 Cork 0-17

Another change for Cork – Tom Kenny comes on to replace Lorcan McLaughlin.

Mayo have gotten out of jail in Ruislip, winning by 0-19 to 2-10.

The attendance at Semple Stadium is announced as 31,231. I wonder if they’ll get that many in the Aviva later on this evening?

Pat Horgan scores his fourth free of the second half and Cork really are in the ascendancy here at the moment. Tipperary 2-15 Cork 0-18

And now Horgan adds one from play, calmly striking over the bar from the right touchline. There are only two points in it now. Tipperary 2-15 Cork 0-19

Another great score by Cork. Cadogan fields beautifully and lays it off to Ben O’Connor who reduces Tipp’s lead to one. The All-Ireland Champions look rattled. Tipperary 2-15 Cork 0-20

It’s point number 11 of the day for Pat Horgan and with 15 minutes remaining, it’s all square in Thurles. Remarkable. Tipperary 2-15 Cork 0-21

Lar Corbett puts Tipp back into the lead. They really need a big few minutes from their stars here to steady the ship. Tipperary 2-16 Cork 0-21

Cork are penalised for a foul on Callanan and, unsurprisingly, Kelly knocks the free over. Tipperary 2-17 Cork 0-21

Tipp have certainly responded well. Noel McGrath somehow manufactures a half-yard of space for himself and takes his point brilliantly. We’re back to a three-point game. Tipperary 2-18 Cork 0-21

Pa Cronin is fouled out on the 65′ line and Pat Horgan makes no mistake as he steps up. That’s his ninth free today; I’m not sure he’s missed one yet. Tipperary 2-18 Cork 0-22

Cork are trying to score from distance when really they might be better off playing the ball inside to their forwards. Brendan Cummins just keeps gobbling up those dropping balls and firing them back into midfield.

GOAL! Tipperary 3-18 Cork 0-22 (Dunne, 66′) Well, this one looks to be done and dusted here. Cork fail to clear their lines, allowing Patrick “Bonnar” Maher to steal the ball and slip it ball through to substitute Benny Dunne who fires powerfully past Donal Og Cusack, leaving the keeper with absolutely no chance.

Lar Corbett picks up a booking for some sort of minor altercation on the sideline, before Noel McGrath cuts another sideline ball over the bar to extend Tipp’s lead to five. Tipperary 3-19 Cork 0-23

Seamus Callanan uses his pace to accelerate away from his marker in midfield and picks up his fourth of the day. That’s followed shortly afterwards by a James Woodlock score, much to the delight of the Premier fans in Thurles. Tipperary 3-21 Cork 0-23

Into the final minute of injury time in Thurles.

Seamus Callanan floats over his fifth point and that’s that.

FULL TIME: Tipperary 3-22 Cork 0-23

So there you have it. The All-Ireland Champions safely negotiate a tricky opening fixture and see off Cork by eight points.

Denis Walsh and the travelling Rebel support will probably be a little bit disappointed that they didn’t press on once they had hauled Tipp back in, but with The Premier’s front six on song this afternoon, it was always going to be a big ask.

Tipp’s reward will be a semi-final fixture against Clare in three weeks’ time, while Cork will enter the qualifiers as one of the teams to avoid.

I’d love to stick about and chat more but I’ve got to high-tail it to the Aviva for the football. Come join me in a couple of minutes for the Ireland vs. Scotland liveblog – there’s silverware at stake, didn’t you know?