The theories, of course, are manifold. Some believe that Tipperary and Clare will crash off one another on Sunday with all the abandon of old; regardless of the fact that this is just a league final. Others feel that the occasion will govern all: that it will be a lively game but temperate, a respectable if forgettable adieu to yet another league.

And then there is the submission that Sunday will be little more than a robust game of chess, with the protagonists edgily circling round one another, loathe to enter into any meaningful jousting until their championship meeting on June 3rd, billed as the great rumble of the impending summer games.

But to have any degree of intrigue about a league final is unusual in itself and it has given tomorrow's derby an added dimension, a point not lost on Tipperary's Liam Cahill: "My own feeling is that while there has been a lot of talk about this, and about how the teams will approach it, there is still a month between it and the championship game. What happens here will not necessarily have an impact on what way it goes next time out. And I think that both teams will be trying to win because it's not every day that a team gets to a league final; it's not as if they can simply be taken for granted. It is an honour after all."

Cahill knows the vicissitudes of modern hurling. Since his joyous debut season in 1996, which culminated in an All Star, he has been around. Some days more successful than others.

Tipperary's hurling existence in recent times seems inextricably and wonderfully bound with that of Clare's. Suffice to say that Cahill has been a casualty in some of those quaking encounters; lionhearted in others.

When these two teams meet, there is too much charisma and talent compressed on one field for any one performer to have a consistent say. Maybe the rivalry between Clare and Tipp is overstated. Maybe they both wish there was a passage to that place of mutual desire that didn't involve these constant charges in Pairc Ui Chaoimh or, as was the case in an unforgettable 1997 All-Ireland final, Croke Park.

Cahill doesn't really know about any of that, nor does he want to. You try and defeat whatever team you are facing, you try and hurl well. "The game has gotten so competitive that you can't really afford to sit back and decide to play a certain way. From our perspective, well, (manager) Nicky English has always had a policy that we would try to do well in the league and I think the fact that this is our third appearance in a league final under him is a reflection of that," says Cahill.

"Playing a match at this time of year is of more value to both teams than running around a field. And the aspect of us meeting each other in the run-in to the championship is overstated in that a lot can happen between now and then."

Perhaps it has garnered such attention because the league pairing seems like the resurrection of a wonderful rivalry that many spectators had felt would end after Tipperary's sweeping win against Clare in the Munster championship last summer.

"We never felt that, not in the slightest. Clare had minor and under-21 teams going well for the past few years and all they were going to need was for one or two of those young players to come through. It wasn't as if they were simply going to disappear," he says.

In any event, Tipperary have been busy assessing their own situation. Although that win against Clare was a breakthrough, the campaign ended somewhat damply in a disappointing quarter-final defeat against Galway.

"Our feeling was that we didn't do ourselves justice that day. It was terribly disappointing. We possibly showed a bit of immaturity, rushing at some of the chances that were there. And we had some bad luck with injuries as well. But we have been trying to rectify that over the league this year," explains Cahill.

And Tipperary's form has been eye-catching. Solid and composed at the back; the forward unit has been superbly creative, whistling points from far out and also poaching goals at an impressive rate.

Eoin Kelly, whose fine point in the ebbing moments of that quarter-final loss to Galway more or less heralded his senior arrival, has played himself into the starting 15 and Lar Corbett's high-octane game has excited many observers.

Cahill has been a consistent threat at wing forward throughout the league. He landed two outstanding individual points against Kilkenny, hit three against Cork, 12 against Waterford and four against Wexford. The statistics show consistency, but Cahill prefers to concentrate on the performance of the team has a whole.

"It's just nice to see it happening for us and to be a part of that. I think it really comes down to the fact that, as a squad, we are that bit more mature now. And also the fact that we have younger players coming through. There is strong competition for places as well, so naturally we are keen to take whatever chance is given to us," he says.

Indeed, Tipperary's substitute bench is enviably strong and the extension in permitted changes has allowed the management to use a strong rotation policy throughout the league, reintroducing established players like John Leahy and Declan Ryan at a gentle pace while also affording newcomers a reasonable chunk of playing time.

"It really has changed the way for all squads," says Cahill, "in that now players know that they have a strong chance of playing, even if they are not starting the match. And with the pace of the game and injuries, it is becoming more commonplace to see frequent substitutions in games."

The closing phase of the league was notable for the spark in the games as well as the re-emergence of Clare. Tipperary were constant throughout and never less than impressive. But many felt that the delayed conclusion, due to the foot-and-mouth postponements, was a blessing.

"Absolutely, it had a positive effect and I think the GAA should draw lessons from it. Players prefer to hurl later in the year and people prefer watching it then. There have been a lot of good games of late. Our semi-final against Galway was a bit one-sided, but there were probably different reasons for that. They are preparing to enter the championship some months down the road. But yes, the recent games have had a relevance for championship preparation. It has been going well for us and, please God, we can maintain that in the final," concludes Cahill.