The broad strokes of Saturday's Celtic League final paints a simple picture of the old boys Munster against the new lads Leinster.

Too naive, perhaps.

The difference in age between the two sides, where Munster are probably a little older overall, doesn't appear to be the issue when the teams match up; more the length of time Munster have been travelling around denting the reputations of big European rugby names.

In that respect, captain Mick Galwey's side has been more consistent, and, outside Ireland, it weighs heavily in their favour especially with regard to their peerless forward-play.

But Leinster, more eye-catching and mercurial and without the heavy reputation or weighty experience, are, according to both Glasgow coach Richie Dixon and Llanelli manager Anthony Buchanan, dangerously able to win matches even from precarious positions.

Buchanan, a former Welsh international, saw how Leinster beat Llanelli in the Pool stages of the competition before then losing to Munster in the quarter-final at Thomond Park.

"Leinster have formulated very good team spirit and have created a do-or-die situation. They are a very difficult side to compete against because they have so much pace behind," he says.

"You can put Leinster under pressure for 60 or 70 minutes and then you give them an opportunity and they will score. It doesn't really matter how much pressure you put on them, you know you won't have the match in the bag until the final whistle because they are capable of scoring tries from any part of the field and at any time in the game.

"In Lansdowne Road, I'd take Leinster to win it. I would imagine that when Declan (Kidney) is looking at it he'll say we'll target Leinster up front and keep the ball very tight. So it will be a forward battle, a grinding down process.

"But I've seen Leinster play and I've seen them beaten for 60 minutes and I've seen them come back and win the game. At a bigger venue like Lansdowne Road, that pace will be telling."

Dixon's Glasgow walked away from Lansdowne Road 35-13 down and out of the competition at the semi-final stage. Like Buchanan, the Scottish coach sees Leinster as a well balanced team facing into an almighty forward battle, seeking to allow their back-line breath with Munster professionally suffocating and tight.

"The Leinster front five are very competent in their play and the front row held their own against us," says Dixon.

"That's where Munster will be asking the questions. But the Leinster backs are very dangerous indeed. (Nathan) Spooner, (Shane) Horgan and (Brian) O'Driscoll combined against us to be a very potent force.

"They've also trust and respect in each other's play and that's important. The back row support well and the second row, especially free ranging, were very good against us. It's clear that the team now are very confident in each other after an unbeaten run of 13 matches.

"But Munster have been over the course a few times before and have done well. They are a side that are used to dogging games out.

"It's hard to tell how the match will go. Munster I think will have to watch Leinster in the turnovers and counter-attacks and if they get a sniff of a chance that is where they can be very dangerous indeed."

Buchanan, no less canny than any Munster man, also points to Kidney's side as one of guile and moulded experience.

Players like Peter Clohessy, Galwey and Jim Williams, he says, know their way around the fringes and understand how to take advantage of a variety of situations. Experience, intuition, cunning, call it what you like, but Munster have it in spades.

"Munster are a team that borders on the illegal side of things, or, rather they take the letter of the law right to the edge-and that's a compliment," observes Buchanan. "They are very quick on breakdowns and when they arrive they have the ability, through experience, to be able to secure the ball and to make ball difficult for their opponents by pressurising on the edges of things.

"The Welsh are known to do that too but we're not as good at it as Munster are anymore, are we?

"The players are also able to raise their game up to that of their international players rather than the Irish players dropping. That has a bearing. But it was very much their pack strength that struck me. They were an experienced unit, and a close unit. There is no doubt that takes them forward."

In Galwey, Munster also have a player who has a charisma. The players will say that Clohessy has also become an iconic figure in the locker room, but Galwey is the official bearer of the demi-god status. That too, in the context of Munster is an issue.

"He (Galwey) has got the team working for him," says Buchanan. "It's going back to experience again. How can I put it, we asked questions of Munster but they regrouped on each occasion and they were able to keep us out at important times in the match.

"The defensive part of their game is first class. In fairness to them, Thomond Park, where we played, is a fortress."

Munster dogging it out and grinding down the Leinster blades, Leinster recycling enough ball for O'Driscoll's inspiration or Horgan and Hickie's pace. The complexity of that simple picture will once again be found in the detail.

The squads of Leinster and Munster will each receive £30,000 from the IRFU for reaching tomorrow's final of the Celtic League. The IRFU has also confirmed that cash will be taken at the turnstiles for the game.