THE CLOSER it gets to tomorrow's Munster final the more I think it will go all the way to the wire. This is a significant turnaround considering both teams in this match were plagued by persistent rumours of unrest a mere 12 months ago. Much of the credit must go to the new managers, Liam Sheedy and Mike McNamara.
They are vastly experienced hurling men, and each seems to have bonded his panel by instilling a modus operandi of hard work and endeavour.
The problem of internal strife within the camp has been passed on to the other three perennial Munster championship contenders.
Tipperary and Clare were the fourth and fifth seeds in 2007; they are now unquestionably the first and second - and so all roads lead to Limerick this weekend to sort out the precise pecking order.
Mike Mac must be commended for guiding Clare out of last year's slump so quickly. I suppose this is best illustrated by the form of two old-timers: Niall Gilligan and Colin Lynch. Neither man has displayed for several seasons such fitness and hunger to get on the ball.
Lynch's midfield partner Brian O'Connell has probably been Clare's outstanding player in the most crucial moments of the championship to date. In particular, O'Connell raised the tempo despite hurling into a second-half gale against Limerick.
The collision right from the throw-in with Tipperary's young tyros James Woodlock and Shane McGrath promises to keep us all enthralled. These latter two are natural athletes and have added the required consistency to their games. They may be lighter than Lynch and O'Connell but they will not suffer in the physical battle.
Such tight, mouth-watering battles are evident through every line on the pitch, making the bookmakers' decision to install Tipperary such strong favourites seem somewhat unbalanced.
The main image from Tipp's defeat of Cork and Clare's felling of Limerick and Waterford has been that of players hunting down opponents in all corners of the field. This relentless effort has been the primary attribute of both teams.
Of course this approach hardly guarantees a classic Munster final, considering space is sure to be at a premium.
An easy trap for Tipperary to fall into would be to start believing the hype circulating around the county. League champions; conquerors of Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh after 85 years of trying; and now facing an unheralded Clare - it all leaves them open to a pinch of complacency.
The Banner candidacy cannot be discounted. Tipperary have received the lion's share of plaudits for beating Cork but Clare's disposal of Waterford and Limerick has been played down. It's true Waterford were poor and looked apathetic, and Limerick did concede soft goals, but that should not blind people to the positives.
For that matter, how good were Cork?
We've mentioned Tipperary's renewed work ethic, but 2-26 against the defending Munster champions remains a huge score.
Clare's goals against Limerick can be virtually dismissed and they did post only 12 points, albeit into a testing wind.
On the other hand, and most important, they did get the job done, and they seem well capable of hitting 18 points tomorrow, which would be a difficult target for Tipp.
Questions remain about Tipperary too, even though they have been the form team this year. The availability of Conor O'Mahony remains a concern. Whether he starts or not, there are doubts about his ability to make the required impact. A serious shoulder injury cannot fully heal in just two weeks.
There is no ready-made replacement for O'Mahony at centre back. Benny Dunne could perhaps fill in there or play at wing back. Benny is a fine hurler but lacks the physicality of O'Mahony as a centre back.
There are equally worrying issues in the half-forward line, which Sheedy has reshuffled once more, but Pat Kerwick did well when coming in against Cork and Séamus Callinan's form is promising.
John O'Brien is the most experienced member of the line but he has taken a long time to nail down a starting slot.
The consolation for Tipp is that the loss of Brendan Bugler from the Clare half backs is on a par to the potential absence of O'Mahony. He has been excellent to date.
In my experience, Tipperary have always struggled coming into Munster finals with the tag of favourite weighing heavily around their necks. An example that springs to mind is the decider in 2002, when they ran into the Waterford juggernaut.
Managing expectations within the county and ensuring a balance is struck to ensure the players do not become overly confident has been the main task for Sheedy these past few weeks. On the tactical front he will know if each line can at least break even - ensuring a steady supply of ball into Eoin Kelly and Larry Corbett - they should still prevail.
That they "should" win can be a difficult mentality to cope with, however.
Lar and Eoin are in fine form but the big tests so far - Galway in the the league final and Cork - were loose affairs with plenty of scope to cause havoc. The likes of Gerry O'Grady and Paddy Vaughan have already proven such open spaces will be hard to find.
Clare have very little to lose here. Since the national league was switched into the same year as the championship it has become a decent barometer of a team's form and Clare have been motoring well for a couple of months now. Tipp can count themselves lucky they got out of Ennis with a draw.
For Clare to win their half-forward line must continue to impose themselves and the full-back line need to produce an airtight display.
As for Tipp, they need to forget about great expectations and simply go out and hurl. They have finished stronger than the opposition in every match this year, but Mike Mac sends out only super-fit teams.
In most Munster championship nail-biters the stronger bench tends to make the crucial difference late on. Tipperary have up to five reserves good enough to start tomorrow. I believe the impact of players such as Micheál Webster, Ryan O'Dwyer and Willie Ryan (both recently dropped) - and maybe even Pa Bourke - can tilt the scales in their favour.
