Tipperary’s greater strength-in-depth to give them the edge against resurgent Limerick

With Limerick pressing against the glass ceiling, they could have done with avoiding champions Tipperary at this stage, as they would fancy their chances against any of the other four counties. Not that there's resignation about this match but just a sense of unfortunate timing.

A year ago when Tipp were labouring for goals and on the cusp of the championship disaster which eventually arrived a couple of months later, Limerick came very close to springing a surprise.

Despite the league promotion disappointment, there has been a further year’s development in the county and a sense of frustration that whereas playing the opposition of 2012 again might well yield the required result, Tipp too have kicked on and under new management have rediscovered a sense of purpose.

If Limerick’s league ended in disappointment, it’s hard to be certain how to categorise Tipperary’s. On one hand they were competitive against Kilkenny and exorcised some of the ghosts of last August but on the other they never quite looked like winning against significantly understrength opponents.

The suggestion that they were holding back might sound like a whistle in the dark except that Eamon O’Shea has previously been associated with making the right moves at the right time of year.

Tomorrow will be about suppressing the home side’s fiery start. As proved in their one memorable year of recent times, 2007, Limerick thrive on momentum and the synthesis between what thunder and lightning they can conjure on the field and the echoing crescendos of the crowd.

That’s the first question mark because a big crowd isn’t expected. They’ll generate what they can if Limerick start well but if instead it’s the visitors that get on top the chances of an upset become slimmer.

Declan Hannon starts at full forward for Limerick and despite the complaints that he's primarily a half forward it's hard to disagree with manager John Allen's comparison with Joe Canning and the sort of player who's needed in a few places at once.

Beside him Graeme Mulcahy and Seán Tobin have the capacity to turn the screw if Tipperary find themselves in difficulties.

Can the champions' own forwards, in the absence of Corbett and Eoin Kelly, produce the required goods?

O'Shea's emphasis that this is a 20-man game will resonate uneasily with Limerick for whom the comparison in bench strength was the critical factor in their defeat last year. Allen's team have a stronger reserve list this time with, among others, the high-profile replacements Shane Dowling and Kevin Downes.

But Tipp still look more likely to take scores more easily and that’s a big advantage.