John Horgan on hurling: Sars will need to go to the well again to survive Munster bearpit

The Premier SHC is done and dusted in the five Munster counties and the five winners are now under starter's orders for the provincial club campaign.

Just for the record, the five winning teams were Sarsfields in Cork, Ballygunner in Waterford, Éire Óg Ennis in the Banner County, Na Piarsaigh on Shannonside and finally Loughmore-Castleiney in Tipperary following their victory Nenagh Éire Óg in last Sunday's final in that county.

All of that sets things up nicely for the Munster Club campaign, one that has the potential to provide us with some thrilling fare as the season draws ever closer to its conclusion.

Since its inception back in 1964, some of the best games of hurling of each season have been in this club championship, games that were fiercely fought before a resolution was found and it's putting it mildly in stating that no quarter was asked or given.

Cork clubs, the Rockies, Barrs, Glen, Newtownshandrum, Midleton and Sarsfields last season have been successful in the competition that continues to grow in stature on a yearly basis and is becoming more and more difficult to win because of the raised standard of the teams that emerge from their own counties.

There was a period between 1971 and 1980 when the three big Cork city clubs dominated the competition and it became their sole preserve in those years, the Rockies winning in five of those years.

In total, Cork clubs have been successful on 18 occasions but in latter times the journey to the winner's podium has become far more difficult.

Sarsfields, of course, are the reigning champions after their terrific victory over Ballygunner and they are Cork's representatives again this time after their county final triumph over Midleton.

Retaining a title in any code is never easy and before a ball is struck in anger in this season's competition, the thinking has to be that the Cork champions will be facing a formidable task in trying to do so.

But in saying that, their victory 12 months ago will be a massive confidence booster before they embark on the road again, facing Ballygunner or Na Piarsaigh in the semi-final.

Four of this season's participants have claimed the title in more recent times, Sars, Ballygunner, Na Piarsaigh and going back a bit further Loughmore-Castleiney.

The Clare champions, Éire Óg have never done so but in their semi-final joust against Loughmore they will have everything to gain and not that much to lose after coming in from the cold in the Banner County just a few weeks ago.

It all begins next Sunday with the highly anticipated clash of Na Piarsaigh and Ballygunner with the Sars management very keen observers in that game.

Ballygunner's achievements in Waterford at this stage are well documented, title winners down there for the past 12 seasons, a quite staggering accomplishment by any standards.

They have been provincial champions on four of those years and there's not a more of a battle-hardened club team anywhere in the country.

Some of Waterford's finest hurlers backbone the team and there is a fierce desire in the club to regain the crown that they surrendered to Sars last season.

Na Piarsaigh are back on top of the tree in Limerick after defeating Doon in the final and their record in this competition makes very impressive reading too.

They are four-time winners since making the breakthrough in 2011 and in Limerick's golden age in recent years, the city club have provided Shane Dowling, Mike Casey, William O'Donoghue, Peter Casey among others others in that four-in-a-row journey.

So the stage is surely set for a pulsating encounter at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday with Sars waiting on the outcome.

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And whether it's Piarsaigh or the Gunners, Sars will be travelling for the semi-final a fortnight later.

Unlike last season, Sars are going into the campaign as Cork champions and that in itself has to give them that extra bit of confidence and energy.

This Munster club championship is becoming similar to the intercounty campaign in the province, desperately difficult to predict what is going to transpire.

In fact, it could be said that it's becoming a minefield of its own with all five competing teams well capable of going on to the All-Ireland series.

There was extra focus on the county final in the Premier County last Sunday because of Tipperary's standing as the country's top team again and we got a final that was absorbing and which went right to the wire before the McGrath family inspired Loughmore-Castleiney prevailed over Nenagh Éire Óg.

Slightly over 6,000 were in attendance in Semple Stadium and the outcome was the right result, Not for the first time the McGrath name was very much to the forefront with the likely Hurler of the Year, John McGrath delivering 1-5.

Another McGrath, Liam, claimed the Man of the Match award with 1-3 and that great Tipp servant, Noel rifled over a brace of points.

Over the course of the hour three green flags were raised and all three were as a result of goalkeeping errors from long-range frees.

There will be a final place on the line when they take on Eire Og from Clare Loughmore-Castleiney on the same afternoon that Sars and the winners of Na Piarsaigh-Ballygunner collide.

The later it becomes in the season, the more difficult the grind and inclement weather can be a factor.

But it has become a competition to eagerly look forward to every season and it's become a similar scenario in Leinster.

Over the weekend we kept a close eye on the proceedings in the Dublin and Kilkenny county finals and in both instances, the fancied team prevailed.

Na Fianna, the All-Ireland club champions, were taken the full distance by Lucan-Sarsfields while Ballyhale-Shamrocks under Henry Shefflin again exhibited why they are such a formidable force inside and outside the county.

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TJ Reid was winning his 12th county championship medal in this final against O'Loughlin-Gaels rubber-stamping his status as one of the greatest forwards of all time.

So, it could be suggested that whoever prevails in Munster will face equally difficult opponents if they encounter either Ballyhale or Na Fianna and when you throw St Martin's from Wexford into the mix, the Leinster club championship becomes equally fascinating.

And it must be said too that the champions of Carlow, Offaly and Laois will be no easy pickings for any opposition.

Yes, the club championship in both provinces has become a great watch and whilst the attendance levels in those games might not reach any great heights, the games can become fierce battles in the quest for provincial and All-Ireland glory with the players involved rising through the ranks together.

And in many instances, as that great author, Charles J Kickham, put it in that excellent novel, Knocknagow, it's all for the glory and honour of the little village. Because these club championship days can be very family-orientated.

We look forward to the next few weeks.