Analysis: The repeat of the Munster final played in early July is not likely to test the attendance capacity of Croke Park tomorrow.

That has more to do with Kerry's lack of appetite for semi-finals (especially when they are All-Ireland champions) and Cork's greater support for their hurlers than the quality of the sides on view.

What makes tomorrow's contest intriguing is the fact that Billy Morgan has totally rebuilt his team after last year's failure against Fermanagh in the qualifiers and then painstakingly blended the young talent like James Masters, John Hayes and Kevin McMahon with the established veterans Anthony Lynch, Graham Canty, Nicholas Murphy and Philip Clifford as the season has progressed.

I was in Croke Park with Galway last year on the same day as the Cork-Fermanagh match and well remember the Cork contingent including Billy Morgan almost despairing. It was being said that they were light years behind some of the teams in the north.

The team has been stabilised, although the only forward to have survived from last year is Conor McCarthy. But Morgan has managed to rejuvenate Murphy as a midfielder and strengthened the defence by building it around Canty and Lynch.

It's a strong half-back line, because Owen Sexton and Noel O'Leary have been impressive on either side of Lynch. It's a huge turnaround.

But having had experience of bringing in young players, it's true that if they're good enough they'll rise to the big occasions. Anyway, carrying on with last year's attack wasn't an option either because they had faltered too many times in big games.

Billy Morgan was lucky in the sense that the new forwards fitted their roles and were suited to the modern game, able to graft and to work hard.

Cork could have caused a shock in the Munster final as they dominated proceedings in the first half, but didn't put the scores on the board.

Declan O'Sullivan's second-half goal was the difference, but it should be remembered that Anthony Lynch and Brendan Jer O'Sullivan had far more telling influences in the All-Ireland quarter-final against Galway than against Kerry.

Lynch showed the leadership to take the game to Galway when the tribesmen were threatening to become rampant and gave a man of the match display, while Brendan Jer also moved up the gears in that game scoring a wonderful goal as well as a few long-range points. He had missed most things he went for in the previous game.

But much of the game plan is based on winning a lot of ball around the middle of the field and maintaining a constant supply into the forwards.

Derek Kavanagh's absence with injury is a big setback because it's bound to have an effect on the midfield, which had been going so well.

The best option would probably be Canty, but it would be a pity to upset the defence and could cause more problems in the long run.

The main worries for Cork in the quarter-final came from Kevin O'Dwyer's mistimed advances and the apparent vulnerability on the flanks in the full-back line.

A repeat could be fatal against the likes of an in-form Cooper, Declan O'Sullivan and the surprise choice, Bryan Sheehan, although Niall Geary has done well on Cooper in the past.

It mightn't be a huge surprise that Dara Ó Cinnéide was dropped because he wasn't going that well, but against Limerick they lacked focus until he came on. I was a bit puzzled by Mike Frank Russell's omission because he was poor against Limerick and Cork and yet they stayed with him until he seemed to come right the last day.

The positive for Kerry in the Munster final was that they were able to lift their performance in the second half when the questions were asked.

Tomás Ó Sé showed the leadership and others upped the ante and the game was closed out. In the quarter-final against Mayo the three-point winning margin might be a concern, but in truth there was probably only going to be one result all day.

Kerry took the foot off the pedal when they led by eight points with 12 minutes left. Aidan O'Mahony settled in well to his new role in the half-back line along with Séamus Moynihan and Tomás Ó Sé.

Midfield was the only area that wasn't in full flow and it will need to improve tomorrow even in Kavanagh's absence, as Nicholas Murphy has been lording it there for Cork.

Tomorrow's game has all the ingredients to be a close and exciting thriller with both teams playing positive football. Billy Morgan's experience of Cork-Kerry battles will be an advantage, but on the presumption that the All-Ireland champions can move up another gear, especially against their neighbours, they get the vote.