LEAGUE action returns to Páirc Uí Chaoimh this Saturday night and it'll be a cracker, Cork hosting modern rivals and hurling's current kingpins Limerick.

Here we look back at the last three Cork-Limerick games.

2022: Limerick 1-13 Cork 2-19, February 27, Gaelic Grounds.

Cork headed to Shannonside last February determined to make a statement.

They'd been trimmed by the Treaty in the previous year's All-Ireland final and even if John Kiely didn't have a full hand to pick from, winning was vital for Cork's confidence.

Kieran Kingston had his side pumped from the throw-in, racing into an early 0-7 to 0-3 lead and striking for goals through Shane Kingston to open up a significant 2-13 to 0-5 half-time advantage. Ciarán Joyce was excellent in a dominant half-time line and the Leesiders moved the ball with pace and purpose.

Kingston and Seamus Flanagan were sent off as tempers frayed and while the Rebels had to turn around to hurl into a strong wind, they were never going to get caught despite a Limerick goal from youngster Cathal O'Neill.

The hosts learned a bit from the loss before the championship meeting two months later, defeating Cork with authority in the Páirc.

Scorers for Limerick: C O’Neill 1-1, D Byrnes (0-3 f), D Reidy (0-2 f) 0-3 each, A Gillane 0-2 f, D O’Donovan, C Lynch, S Flanagan, G Mulcahy 0-1 each.

Cork: P Horgan 0-8 (0-6 f, 0-1 65), S Kingston 2-0, C Lehane, D Fitzgibbon, M Coleman (0-1 f), R O’Flynn 0-2 each, T O’Mahony, S Barrett, J O’Connor 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: B Hennessy; A Costelloe, D Morrissey, S Finn; C Coughlan, D Hannon, K Hayes; D O’Donovan, R Hanley; C O’Neill, C Lynch, T Morrissey; D Reidy, S Flanagan, D O’Connell.

Subs: R English for Finn (35, temporary), D Byrnes for Coughlan, A Gillane for O’Connell, W O’Donoghue for Hanley (all half-time), G Mulcahy for Reidy (58), C Boylan for O’Neill (54).

CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, D O’Leary, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony, M Coleman, C Joyce; G Millerick, D Fitzgibbon; R O’Flynn, S Barrett, M Keane; S Kingston, P Horgan, C Lehane.

Subs: C Cahalane for Keane (40), J O’Connor for Lehane (46), C O’Brien for N O’Leary (56, temporary), A Connolly for Horgan (61), S Harnedy for Barrett (64), S Twomey for O’Flynn (65).

Referee: S Stack (Dublin).

2021: Limerick 0-33 Cork 2-19, June 5, Gaelic Grounds.

John Kiely's side laid down a serious marker against Cork last summer, hitting 33 points and another 20 wides at a near-empty Gaelic Grounds with restrictions in place.

Cork gleaned a few positives from the evening, including a pair of blistering Jack O'Connor goals, but Limerick's ability to exploit Mark Coleman's deployment as a playmaking centre-back and outmuscle the Rebels in every sector were replicated a few months later in the All-Ireland final.

Scorers for Limerick: A Gillane 0-10 (0-9 f), T Morrissey, C Lynch 0-4 each, D Byrnes 0-3 (0-1 f, 0-1 65), C O’Neill, C Coughlan, P Ryan, P Casey 0-2 each, B Nash, W O’Donoghue, D O’Donovan, A Breen 0-1 each.

Cork: P Horgan 0-9 (0-6 f, 0-2 65), J O’Connor 2-1, M Coleman (f), D Dalton (f), S Kingston 0-2 each, R O’Flynn, D Cahalane, C Cahalane 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: B Hennessy; R English, S Finn, B Nash; D Byrnes, D Hannon, C Coughlan; W O’Donoghue, D O’Donovan; T Morrissey, C Lynch, C Boylan; P Ryan, A Gillane, P Casey.

Subs: J Boylan for Finn (49), C O’Neill for C Boylan (55), D O’Connell for Ryan, A Breen for Casey (both 59), R Hanley for O’Donovan (65), G Mulcahy for Gillane, R Connolly for Hannon (both 67).

CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, D Cahalane, S O’Leary Hayes; G Millerick, M Coleman, R Downey; B Hennessy, D Connery; C Cahalane, S Kingston, R O’Flynn; T Deasy, D Dalton, J O’Connor.

Subs: N Cashman for Downey, L Meade for Downey, P Horgan for Dalton (all half-time), S Barrett for O’Flynn (49), S Twomey for Deasy (58), A Connolly for Kingston (67), C O’Brien for D Cahalane (70).

Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway).

2020: Cork 2-21 Limerick 0-29, February 23, Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The last big hurling game before Covid shut sport down, this was a cracker in the Páirc, goals from Shane Kingston and Aidan Walsh reeling Limerick in before the Treaty dug out a win.

The Rebels leaned too heavily on Patrick Horgan's accuracy from placed balls while they lined out in that cracking black alternative geansaí in memory of Tomás Mac Curtain and Terence McSwiney.

Limerick went eight points up in the first half and the gap proved insurmountable despite the Cork comeback.

Scorers for  Cork: P Horgan 0-17 (0-15 f, 0-1 65), S Kingston 1-1, A Walsh 1-0, D Dalton (0-1 sl) 0-2, B Cooper 0-1.

Limerick: A Gillane 0-13 (0-11 f), D O’Donovan 0-3, K Hayes, P O’Loughlin, S Flanagan, C Lynch 0-2 each, G Hegarty, W O’Donoghue, D Dempsey, T Morrissey, D Byrnes (65) 0-1 each.

CORK: P Collins; E Cadogan, C Spillane, S O’Leary Hayes; M Coleman, R Downey, T O’Mahony; B Cooper, D Fitzgibbon; R O’Flynn, S Harnedy, L Meade; D Dalton, P Horgan, S Kingston.

Subs: A Walsh for Meade (half-time), C Lehane for Dalton (57), C Joyce for O’Mahony (66), C Cahalane for O’Flynn (70).

LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, M Casey, A Costello; D Byrnes, D Hannon, P O’Loughlin; C Lynch, W O’Donoghue; K Hayes, G Hegarty, D O’Donovan; D Dempsey, A Gillane, S Flanagan.

Subs: T Morrissey for Hegarty, G Mulcahy for Dempsey (both 56), D Reidy for Lynch (60), B Nash for O’Loughlin (64), D O’Connell for Flanagan (67).

Referee:

Seán Cleere (Kilkenny).