I'm going for Kilkenny because it's going to be a close match and I think their extra match sharpness will be an important factor in the end. Since losing to Wexford in the Leinster final, Kilkenny have had two competitive games. Since winning the Munster final on July 6th, Clare have had none.

Kilkenny's win over Cork in the league wasn't a big achievement in itself, but it did help to pick them up after their disappointment in the Leinster final and it also solved a few important questions for Nicky Brennan over team selection.

Since then they've obviously had that win over Galway which, I would imagine, has transformed them. That second half comeback can only have done wonders for their morale and team spirit. That was just two weeks ago and I presume they've been buzzing since. In other words, they have momentum, they're on a roll.

Clare have had to rely on training sessions and challenge games since their win over Tipperary. What will help them is their supreme fitness. They're not going to stop hurling, they will still be going strong with ten minutes to go. I would think they are probably fitter than Kilkenny but I'm not sure that that will be enough to compensate for the momentum Kilkenny will bring into tomorrow's game.

Both sides have adjusted their teams somewhat but it was no surprise to see John Power coming in from the start for Kilkenny. That was never in doubt once he had acquired match fitness. Power really galvanised them when he came off the bench the last day. The way he picked up P J Delaney, who was down with an injury, and told him to get on with it was typical of his determination.

Brennan knows that his strength will be important against the Clare backs. Likewise Michael Phelan at full forward. Neither of them will be easily thrown aside. Power is picked at right half forward but he has played all his hurling at centre half so if he doesn't start there I don't think it will be too long before the switch is made. This game basically comes down to how the Kilkenny forwards perform against the Clare backs, whom we all know are strong and aggressive. They are the best six backs in Ireland at the moment and I don't see them giving D J Carey the same room he got against Galway. Liam Doyle is a good defender but he is not as fast as D J so I think it will be a collective marking effort; they will try to crowd him as often as possible. In addition, Clare may draw back their two midfielders into the half back line for Kilkenny's puckouts. It depends then on what Kilkenny do with their puckouts.

The battle between Phelan and Brian Lohan will be very interesting but I don't see Kilkenny hitting high balls into that Clare full back line. That would be suicidal. This game is going to be a battle of tactics and I expect Kilkenny to avoid long, high deliveries where possible and use criss-cross or diagonal deliveries as much as they can. Phelan may try to take Lohan out the field a bit and create some room for Delaney and Charlie Carter in the corners. Delaney was taken off the last day and will be motivated to avoid that this time. Carter has been going well and I expect him to be buzzing in the other corner.

Andy Comerford and Philip Larkin should break even with Clare in midfield even though both have a tendency to carry the ball a bit too much, which will suit the Clare backs. Their opponents, Ollie Baker and Colin Lynch, will work and work to the finish.

Ger Loughnane has brought Fergal Hegarty and Conor Clancy into the full forward line but Hegarty is not a natural corner forward. He is a good defensive midfielder so we may well see him drifting outfield. The extra space would suit Ger O'Loughlin who has been a revelation this summer. He has a very good hurling brain and has been able to exploit that quality, laying off the ball from full forward. If Conor Clancy isn't working out in this position then Loughnane has the option of moving "Sparrow" in to the edge of the square. These are the tactical possibilities which could help swing the game one way or another.

It looks like Eddie O'Connor is going to be watching O'Loughlin and that's another key confrontation. O'Connor did his job against Galway, young Eugene Cloonan never got into the game. Kilkenny's defence may be troubled by the speed and movement of Jamesie O'Connor. He is so difficult to contain, he will be buzzing all over the field, and Kilkenny's backs may not have the pace to stay with him.

Brennan has persisted with Adrian Ronan in goal. I thought he was shaky against Galway but it seems Kilkenny don't have a specialist goalkeeper good enough at the moment. I'm sure that Ronan has got lots of practice in since but goalkeepers, unlike the other players on the field, cannot afford to make any mistakes and this position is a potential difficulty for Kilkenny. A full back line must be assured when the ball goes behind them that the goalkeeper will be able to deal with it and the Clare full back line will probably have that bit more confidence in their man.

Substitutes are more than likely going to make an important contribution tomorrow and Clare look to have a slight edge in this regard. They seem to have more depth with players like Eamonn Taaffe, Niall Gilligan and Barry Murphy there in addition to Forde and McNamara. Kilkenny have a useful bench but Loughnane looks to have more options if he needs them.

But, for me, it comes back to match practice and momentum. There is too big of a lapse between the Munster final and All-Ireland semi-final and Clare have had to wait in the wings while Kilkenny have gone about rebuilding their morale. They've done that, they're on a roll and I expect it to bring them through. (In an interview)