What you have here are two teams in an All-Ireland final that have been radically altered in recent years. Both Tipperary and Galway are largely unrecognisable from how they would have lined out even two years ago, and that makes it a particularly hard game to call.

Tipperary have also suffered the loss of Brian O'Meara, and that has forced them to move Eoin Kelly back to the wing simply because they didn't have much of a choice. It is a gamble, but not a massive gamble and he is such a skilful player I think he can be just as effective there.

Not surprisingly, Galway have gone with the same team that beat Kilkenny in the semi-final. They look happy now and are especially settled in the defence, and I also feel that they will have a small point to prove against Tipperary. Tipperary beat them in the league semi-final and Galway will want to show them that now is the time to turn that result around.

To have beaten Kilkenny is definitely a huge psychological boost for Galway going into this game. They were the All-Ireland champions and all the talk was of them winning again, but the question now is whether Galway can produce that same sort of performance.

To be honest, I don't think they can. But that is not to say they will lose. They reached some unreal heights against Kilkenny and it would be hard and probably too much to ask to see them producing that again.

Having said that, they are now even more confident. It was a huge boost to the team morale and the fact that so much of this game will be psychological, Galway are still in a very strong position.

Both teams will be equally motivated to win. Galway have been absent from the All-Ireland final for a long time and Tipperary feel their time has come as well. Hunger is always important but is will be the smallest things and the least mistakes that will turn this game. Another factor in this game is the route to the final. Galway don't have near as many matches behind them, whereas Tipperary have been through a tough Munster championship and then a replay in their semi-final.

The drawback for Galway there is that they don't quite know what they are capable of. It was a huge performance against Kilkenny but that was only one game. But the advantage is that Galway were always preparing for a peak at the end of July, while Tipperary had to worry about big games a lot earlier, so the expectancy is that Galway are a lot fresher and closer to their peak.

Overall, you will have two teams striving to be consistent all over the field, and I can't see any obvious weakness in either side. For Tipperary, it's vital that both John Carroll and Declan Ryan perform because they are the two strong, physical players that break up the play for the forwards. They need to perform at their best or those around them will suffer.

For Galway, Joe Rabbitte will have to strike top-form as well, and if he's not on song then Galway may have problems. Then they'll need another big performance from Eugene Cloonan. He scored 2-9 the last day but it's a huge task for him to repeat that. If he starts to miss frees and his confidence drops then Galway may be in trouble.

But if Philip Maher doesn't hold Cloonan then Tipperary will have big problems. Another big confrontation is Ryan on Michael Healy. If the full back is having problems then the whole Galway defence can suffer and Ryan, an old soldier of the team, is sure to cause some problems. Other questions too lie over Liam Hodgins, and whether he can handle Carroll's bustling style.

So much of the modern game depends on speed and there is no lack of that in either side. And even with the sprinkling of youth on both teams, I don't think experience will be a factor. Young players these days seem to take pressure games in their stride and I can't see the occasion getting to any of them.

In fact, there are a lot of ifs and buts about this game and that makes it very difficult to predict the outcome. I expect it to be very tight and if there is no more than a point or two in it going into the final few minutes then I can see Tipperary winning. The extra games they played in the summer would stand to them then, and help them to get over the line.

But if Galway manage to get themselves five or six points ahead in the last 10 minutes then I can see them winning. Things will have to go wrong in Tipperary for them to be in that position but either way I don't think it will be the most memorable game of hurling. All-Ireland finals rarely are.

It's like the FA Cup final. There is always too much tension in the air and that usually creates a hard, dour game. But I do expect there will be some flashes of great hurling.