Ever since Cork stunned Tipperary and Wexford knocked Kilkenny out of Leinster, people have been counting down the days to the hurling qualifier draw.
Throw in a hungry Waterford side, stewing after their defeat to the Rebels and a Limerick team hurt by a Munster semi-final loss and there was major potential.
On one side of the draw, you had the Cats, Offaly, Westmeath and Dublin. In the other pot - Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford and Laois. The only possible permutation which wasn't allowed to happen was Laois against Westmeath.
With three of last years' All-Ireland semi-finalists involved, there was bound to be a major pairing.
The balls came out on Morning Ireland and we have a couple of interesting clashes awaiting us this weekend.
Kilkenny will host Limerick in the highlight of the draw. Tipperary should bounce back from the defeat to Cork as they host Westmeath. Waterford are on the road to Tullamore as they drew a potential banana skin in Offaly. Dublin meet Laois in the other tie.
Draw in full
Dublin vs Laois
Kilkenny vs Limerick
Offaly vs Waterford
Tipperary vs Westmeath
A separate draw will be made at GAA HQ to determine home venues, dates and times.
The last time Kilkenny went through the qualifiers, they were drawn against Tipp in Round 1. They advanced after a three-point win in a slugfest at Nowlan Park. They followed that up by beating Waterford in extra time in Thurles, before falling to Cork in the quarter-finals.
Derek McGrath is under a bit of pressure to deliver following the Deise's lacklustre performance against Cork, despite focusing on the game for three months. He might've wanted a home draw, but it could've been an awful lot worse.
