DUBLIN'S RISE to prominence on the hurling fields this year very much reflects the motivating skills of their manager Michael O'Grady.

O'Grady's in-depth analysis of any match sounds convincing and quickly attracts listeners. When he talks of a Munster hurling final such as Sunday's big showdown between Tipperary and Clare, his theories, based on local knowledge and personal experience of management posts in the province, are guaranteed to be sound.

Assessing Sunday's match at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, he feels that the duel between the Clare half backs and the Tipperary half forwards will be of crucial importance. The Clare line, he says, seem poised to hold an edge. Conversely, though, Tipperary to win is his prediction "because of their freshness."

"They have been putting wins back to back in the league and this all adds up in terms of team morale. Clare's league performance," he suggests, "would have frustrated them a bit."

"The Clare half-back line is a key line. Liam Doyle, Sean McMahon and Anthony Daly beat Cork in the semi-final. Significantly, in the first half of that match when Cork were against the wind, the puck-out was falling short of the half backs but in the second half, the long puck out by Ger Cunningham was falling on top of the three half backs. And they cleaned up," he recalls.

"Tipperary's big task will be to counteract. I would have to say that it's a better half-back line than the half-forward line. Kevin Tucker, Declan Ryan and Toma's Dunne will have to up their games to stop these guys playing hurling.

"Sean McMahon versus Declan Ryan has got to be a key individual duel," he continues.

The Tipperary attack is largely the same as last year. "They didn't perform then and had a very bad experience against Limerick. I believe that a change of position can sometimes give a player a new lease of life. Michael Cleary, for example, has been accommodated very effectively in this way.

"You wouldn't have foreseen a small light forward like Michael playing at full forward but, obviously, it has given him a new lease of life. He probably had played too long as a wing forward. No longer has he got to deal with high balls from the puck-out. Now, he is on to low balls that are sent in deliberately and he is playing extremely well."

O'Grady is very impressed by the quality of personnel on the Tipperary bench: "There are players there who would be on the team but for the fact that the players in possession are playing so well at the moment. Corial Bonnar, whom I am told is back to full fitness, George Frend and Aidan Flanagan are there. These are all impressive players. Tipp obviously have a very good defensive set-up when they can leave George Frend on the sideline."

Does O'Grady consider that the second chance for the losers this year will, in some way, lessen resolve? "It doesn't count," he insists. "No way does anyone want to lose a Munster final. First of all the losers would not know who they are playing in the quarter-finals. Nobody wants to meet Galway in a quarter-final but, even leaving that aside, it's the whole pride of winning a Munster final that's at stake."

The respective team managers and their strategies are bound to add to the fascination of the encounter. O'Grady regards Len Gaynor and Ger Loughnane as two of the greatest motivators of the age. "Len or Ger cannot have any secrets from each other. One knows too well about the other's team. Anyway, the approach these days is not to be overly concerned about the team you are playing. Going out and playing your own game, deploying your own tactics is the priority.

"Len perhaps has a freshness that Ger may not have at this stage. Ger had a very long year two years ago when they won the All-Ireland.

"Last year was frustrating for him and this could possibly be the last year for him. It's very demanding."

The onus on Gaynor to lead his native county to an All-Ireland title is a huge incentive for him, says O'Grady. "He is a fabulous hurling man. He knows the scene.

"I have been weighing up the pros and cons. I would forecast Tipp to win. They have fewer anxieties. Clare are probably still worrying about last year.