Waterford might have expected that the county's bid to land historic back-to-back Munster titles would be the focus of tomorrow's Guinness Munster hurling final. But instead the summer resounds to the clamorous hype of Cork's re-emergence, writes Seán Moran.
With ticket fever epidemic, the mood in both counties is high-pitched, although the champions have more reason for introspection. The two-match encounter with Limerick was encouraging and worrying in equal measure.
The drawn match again illustrated the team's difficulty in holding onto big leads and the bewildering inconsistency that causes it.
Ironically, the replay, with its drastically reduced quota of open play and free-flowing scores, would have raised spirits for the very reason that the scoreboard wasn't revolving like a tachometer. It was industrial graft that edged Waterford home in a claustrophobic encounter.
Central to both displays was Paul Flynn's contribution. Over the two matches he scored 4-10 and was the difference between the sides in the replay.
Worryingly he's been doing this without the levels of support that were so integral to last year's success.
Ken McGrath manned the pumps at centrefield for a while the last day but his value to the team is not as a hewer and fetcher and the ability to strike from distance and pressurise defences is what Waterford need from him. Similarly Eoin Kelly has not rediscovered the form that won him an All Star last season.
Even if Flynn can maintain his form and scoring average, it won't matter unless his team-mates can kick in a more sizeable contribution.
The mysteries of Justin McCarthy's team selection are rendered even more impenetrable than usual by the ambiguity over Tony Browne's state of fitness. Within the county the view was downbeat until the captain was named in the side, subject to a fitness test, last Tuesday. Whether he starts, there is a consensus that he can't be 100 per cent.
Browne has defied the odds before but against Cork four years ago the odds defied him and he had to leave the field early in the match. This is a major frustration for Waterford as at his best Browne could expect to be a dominant influence at centrefield.
That might be unfair on Mickey O'Connell whose success at physically matching Colin Lynch in the semi-final was as surprising as it was effective but a similar episode of bump-and-grind stalemate with Andy Moloney or Peter Queally - mysteriously starting on the bench unless Browne is unfit - would be to Waterford's advantage rather than Cork's.
One theory about Queally is that he has never been forgiven for the mistake that led to Clare's goal in last year's All-Ireland semi-final. Whatever. But it's hard to see the justification either for substituting him the last day or dropping him for tomorrow given his effectiveness as a combatant. Maybe the obvious potential for a late call-up for Queally gives a hint as to Browne's chances of playing.
Flynn is named at wing forward but is likely to play inside. Where exactly remains to be seen. It wouldn't appear to make sense for Waterford to withdraw their best player for fear of Wayne Sherlock's excellence or Diarmuid O'Sullivan's strength in the Cork corners so maybe full forward is an option.
Either way John Mullane may well drift to bring O'Sullivan out a bit and free up room on the inside for Flynn.
Clare provided so little probing in the semi-final that Cork will probably never again be so dominate a big match.
Donal O'Grady's team still have an inexperienced spine with only Joe Deane at full forward a fixture.
Niall McCarthy at centre forward will find it hard to stick his hand up so productively with Fergal Hartley for company and his wingers Ben O'Connor, rampant against Clare, and Timmy McCarthy will almost certainly have to endure a more cramped afternoon down the tramlines.
It's easy to forget that against Clare Cork had the match to themselves for the first and final quarters.
It took them 22 minutes to concede their first score and over the last 20 minutes Clare managed only one point.
So the margins for increased pressure on Cork will be extensive.
How will they react? No one can say for certain but a cakewalk against Clare doesn't look as good a preparation as two clammy matches against Limerick.
There are so few question marks over Cork simply because nothing has been asked of them so far.
Tomorrow will be a test and Cork may struggle for answers.
WATERFORD: S Brenner; B Greene, T Feeney, J Murray; E Murphy, F Hartley, D Prendergast; T Browne (capt), E Kelly; E McGrath, K McGrath, P Flynn; J Mullane, A Moloney, D Bennett.
CORK: D Cusack; W Sherlock, P Mulcahy, D O'Sullivan; T Kenny, R Curran, Seán Ó hAilpín; J Gardiner, M O'Connell; B O'Connor, N McCarthy, T McCarthy; Setanta Ó hAilpÍn, J Deane, A Browne (capt).
