Kerry hold all the aces

Some opinion in Clare sees the current team as being in a good position to repeat 1992's sensational Munster final triumph over Kerry. It's hard to share this optimism given that Kerry field the bulk of a side which won the All-Ireland three years ago. As manager Mickey O'Sullivan said during the week, Kerry in '92 fielded the bulk of a side which had won nothing.

There is a solid look to Clare who have competed well at the top level in recent years but Kerry have such attacking menace that it's difficult to see how that can be contained for long enough to enable Tommy Curtin's men to eke out a winning total.

Up front, Clare can boast a hard-working half-forward line inspired by Martin Daly's creative presence and scoring corner forwards but as a unit they still waste too many chances. Against a young Tipperary side, Clare should have wrapped up the match before a late, impressive surge carried them clear.

They will take heart from Cork's secondhalf display in Killarney as they paralysed Kerry around the central sector. This was partly due to Seamus Moynihan's move to full back which shored up the inside line but left the half backs bereft of his ability to win ball and launch attacks from deep. The other side of that coin is that in the first half, Cork's defence - one of the top two in last year's championship - was decimated.

Clare's defence was in trouble with what ball went through to Declan Browne and will have to tighten up considerably. Joe Considine and Donal O'Sullivan will be hopeful of pressuring Dara O Se and Donal Daly and Clare will hope to dig out a fair bit of possession around this area.

But taking into account the leap in performance levels required both in defence and in attack, the gap doesn't look bridgeable.