IT was a day that the Cork hurlers won't forget in a hurry. On April 5 last year, they were the recipients of a 27-point thrashing from Kilkenny in a league game at Nowlan Park, and the memory of that bitter and humiliating experience hasn't dimmed with the passage of time.

New team skipper Fraggie Murphy summed up the mood within the Cork squad ahead of next Sunday's collision with Kilkenny at Pairc Uí Chaoimh after the Rebels picked up their second brace of points in the league at Limerick's expense two weeks ago.

"It's a chance to make amends for last year, and everybody is looking forward to it. It's the type of game we really want to play in at this stage, and we would like to think that what happened last year had to do with our preseason problems coming against us big-time on the day. Kilkenny were ruthless, and they absolutely blew us away, but we are in better shape now, and I suppose we can only improve on a 27-point defeat," said Murphy, with his tongue very much in his cheek.

There were obviously some mitigating reasons for Cork's abject subjugation in what was Denis Walsh's first game at the helm eleven months ago. The players had returned after spending the winter months in exile just three weeks earlier. And, while they had managed to fashion a couple of narrow wins over Clare and Limerick in the interim, they were never likely to be able to topple the Cats, who were smarting from the suggestion that their AllIreland triumph in 2008 might not have been achieved if Cork hadn't been encumbered by internal troubles that year.

Still, the scale of the defeat, which was clearly savoured to the full by the Kilkenny supporters, couldn't have been anticipated, and it was a massive blow to Cork's pride. Kilkenny went on to conquer all-comers again and complete the four-in-arow in the championship last year of course, whereas Cork bowed out to Tipperary in Munster before exiting the All-Ireland race prior to the quarter stage at the hands of Galway.But Cork could quite easily have prevailed in both of those contests, and Kilkenny were put to the pin of their collar to get the better of Tipp in the All-Ireland final.

They needed the rub of the green at a critical stage of the match to do so, and they had again been pushed all the way by Tipp earlier in an epic league final which went to extratime. Last Sunday, Tipp finally put one over on Brian Cody's men in a league game played with championship-like intensity in Semple Stadium.

And it isn't beyond the bounds of possibility that Cork can do likewise, bearing in mind that they will be every bit as motivated as Tipp were to lay down a marker against the dual-champions. It goes without saying that it will be Cork's stiffest assignment to date this season, and, in terms of gauging their current state of health, it will be much more revealing than either of their two previous league outings against Offaly and Limerick.

Cork played a challenge game against Clare last weekend, which was highly competitive, and was a very useful work-out ahead of the showdown with Kilkenny. It marked the return to the set-up of Newtownshandrum's Cathal Naughton, who lined out at midfield, and Ben and Jerry O'Connor, who were brought on for the second half.

All three acquitted themselves well by all accounts, particularly Ben O'Connor, who finished up with six points to his credit during his 35 minute stint. It was essentially an experimental Cork side which took the field, and the form of young Luke O'Farrell and Paudie O'Sullivan was especially encouraging. Midleton's O'Farrell is a tremendous prospect, while Cloyne's O'Sullivan could be ready to get his inter-county career back on track after slipping well down the pecking-order under the previous Cork management. The indications are that competition for places is really hotting up in all sectors at this stage.

It's going to be hard enough to pick the team for the Kilkenny game, although the defence will probably include 'old hands, Donal Og Cusack between the sticks, and Brian Murphy, Ronan Curran and Sean Og O'hAilpin in the half back line. Shane O'Neill and Eoin Cadogan should be automatic choices as well in the full back line, with Shane Murphy and Conor O'Sullivan the main contenders for the left corner back slot.

One would expect, in the wake of his fine display against Limerick, that Michael Cussen will definitely start somewhere in attack, and Ben O'Connor has to be a banker for a wing forward position. Fraggie Murphy and Patrick Horgan, in view of their good form against Offaly and Limerick, can expect to be retained in the corner forward berths, as can John Gardiner at midfield, but it will interesting to see whether Tom Kenny, Jerry O'Connor or Cathal Naughton will be chosen to partner Gardiner for this one.

Throw Niall McCarthy and Aisake O'hAilpin as well as O'Farrell and O'Sullivan into the mix, and clearly Denis Walsh has some difficult decisions to make from midfield upwards. Taking on Kilkenny should be very enlightening, and, even if in the absence of Henry Shefflin and the rest of the Ballyhale contingent, it would be a bit of blow to the visitors were they to lose two games in succession.

It's something that Brian Cody's men aren't accustomed to, but Cork's desire to atone for last year's massacre might just be enough to provide them with the impetus to shade the issue.

- Noel Horgan