County rivals turn college brothers as group of death comes down to it

UCC are home and dry but NUI Galway still have work to do.

From the moment the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup draw was made back in December, Group A was the deal-breaker. The Group of Death, the showstopper. UCC, UCD, UL, NUI Galway. 86 Championships between them, four of this competition's most successful ever teams, four titans of college's hurling and only two quarter final spots to fight for. That was then and this is now. Two weeks into Fitzgibbon hurling, January peering into February and there's one spot gone and there's one left. The stakes are high and the tension couldn't be much higher. Going into the final round of games, pre-tournament favourites UL are a beaten docket. UCC on the other hand, have their spot in the last eight copper-fastened and it's down to NUI Galway to close out the deal and to shut out the other live-wires in UCD. To do that though and to make full sure of their place in the quarter finals, the Galway college will need a win or a draw against the high flyers of UCC when the universities meet in the Mardyke under the Thursday afternoon sleet. Current table standings. The Cork lads are on the crest of a wave, having taken down UL and having coasted over UCD and they'll be keen to keep that winning buzz going - just as much as NUI Galway are desperate to seal the deal. Amidst the college rivalries, the sub-plots and all the permutations unfolding in the south west of Ireland, there are also some classic, exclusive-to-college-GAA examples of enemies on the inter-county scene coming together and teammates on the county scene facing off. That's what it's all about and here are the best of them.

Conor Browne (Kilkenny, UCC) and Mark Coleman (Cork, UCC)

Cork and Kilkenny. Frazier and Ali. Both under the age of 22, Browne and Coleman grew up at a time when the Cork and Kilkenny rivalry was the face of hurling. In recent years, the face-off has been diluted by the emergence of Tipperary, Limerick and others but that traditional Cats/Rebels grudge game is still alive and well. The pair have been eyeing each other up from minor to under-21 and now at senior level but for this Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup game, they're teammates, they're brothers in arms, they're in it for UCC.

Robbie O'Flynn (Cork, UCC) and Mark Kehoe (Tipperary, UCC)

It's a game of swings and roundabouts. Just last year, O'Flynn's Cork under-21s handed Kehoe's Tipp gang the hiding of their lives in the Munster final. Only for the Premier to come back through the back door to stun Cork in the All-Ireland final. Both men were half forwards in the Gaelic grounds that day, both men will be on the same UCC forward line this Thursday. Rivalries to one side - it's what the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup does.

Paddy Cadell (Tipperary, UCC) v Sean Loftus (Galway, NUI Galway)

Touching at the Lorrha-Portumna border, the Tipperary/Galway derby is always a big one. Loftus and Cadell are rising stars in their own counties and on Thursday they'll be picking each other up in the engine room. Loftus is NUI Galway's dynamo in the middle, Cadell plays the same role for UCC. Bring on the game, which will be live-streamed here.  Electric Ireland is proud to support the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup. As part of its sponsorship, Electric Ireland will live stream eight key Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup games at www.electricireland.ie/hec and www.GAA.ie/GAANow, bringing fans closer to the action than ever before. Follow the Championship and be a part of the conversation on social using the hashtag, #FirstClassRivals or visit @ElectricIreland on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Electric Ireland’s Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and Higher Education Championship campaign, #FirstClassRivals, showcases the unique trait of these historic GAA competitions that sees team composition, unlike in club and county Championships, determined by place of learning not place of birth allowing traditional rivals to form the most unexpected of alliances.