Brendan Cummins: Clare have tools to blunt 'huge Treaty weapon'

Brendan Cummins believes Clare have the tools to seriously blunt a "huge weapon" for Limerick in Sunday's Munster SHC final at Semple Stadium.

Just three weeks on from their epic draw in Ennis, the pair collide again.

Speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Cummins dissected one of the Treaty's big tactical ploys - the use of Diarmaid Byrnes off puckouts - and outlined some key challenges Clare will face against John KIely's men.

"Limerick, as we all know, will play four on the full-back line on the puckout because they want to get the ball to Diarmuid Byrnes," said the former Tipperary goalkeeper.

"He's their best striker of the ball, so if Byrnes gets it, the ball is going deep. Seamus Flanagan, Aaron Gillane, whoever is in the full-forward line know it's coming.

"Will Clare push up and try to stop that from happening? Of course the byproduct of you doing that is you're one-for-one all over your half-back line so you're backing that you're better than Gearoid Hegarty, you're better than Morrissey in the air.

"It'll be interesting to see because I think it's a huge weapon that Limerick use.

"When they give it to any one of the other three bar Byrnes, they're running it. If they give it to Byrnes, more often than not he's getting out 30 yards from his own goal and it's going inside, bouncing in front of the full-forward line."

Knowing Nickie Quaid will routinely try to arrow the ball to supplier-in-chief Byrnes is one thing, stopping it is another.

However, Cummins sees qualities in the Banner armoury that could help nullify the opposing threat.

Pondering how he'd set up against the All-Ireland champions, he said: "I'd be inclined to let Limerick go short. I'd have my eight dropping in, or one of my midfielders dropping in, to