Our hurling writer, Mike O’Halloran, previews tomorrow’s big Christy Ring opening round game for Kerry against Down in Austin Stack Park…

The Division 2A champions take on ‘The Ards Men’ on Saturday in Austin Stacks Park Tralee at 1pm.

The management of the Kerry hurling team have set the winning of The Christy Ring Cup as their goal for 2015 – one wonders if that was based on an expectation that they might not have been able to progress to division 1 B of The Allianz National Hurling League.

But progress to Div 1B they have and in some style. It make sense that the management would target the Cloyne man’s cup as it is the only vehicle on board which Kerry can compete in The McCarthy Cup.

Down come to town on Saturday to face the top dogs of Div 2A. Down finished third in Div 2B so Kerry must be odds-on favourites to progress to face other winners next Saturday in this format, which sees winners play winners and losers play losers in the next round with places in the semis and quarters available.

Kerry players and management that I have spoken to over the past few days are very wary of the favourites tag and caution that this championship and anything can happen inside the white lines.

There have been some disappointing defeats in the final of this competition over the years.

Kildare snatched a win last year as Kerry were favourites, in 2013 Gareth ‘Magic’ Johnson, a favoured son of the men from the Ards peninsula, grabbed a last minute goal to deny The Kingdom.

Kerry players and management are hoping for a large turn out of fans to help the team on its way and to perhaps acknowledge their great success so far in winning Div 2A making Kerry one of only a handful of counties with a hurling and football team in division one.

So come out and support the newest dual county!