Split decision - RTÉ GAA analysts call Clare v Cork

Ahead of the All-Ireland final between Clare and Cork at Croke Park, RTÉ GAA analysts have been giving their take on who will be lifting the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

DIARMUID O'SULLIVAN

There's a hunger in Cork, the Cork hurling fraternity are starved for success, they’re starved for All-Irelands.

The excitement around the county, the anxiety over tickets, the stress, everything, it’s different and on a level I’ve probably never ever seen before.

That says to me that Cork people need an All-Ireland. I think hurling needs Cork to win an All-Ireland title as much as everything else to get the traditional counties back up there again.

Cork and Clare are similar enough, they like to sit their half-back men back, turn over the ball and break with incredible power and pace, exploiting gaps.

It’s going to be fascinating. I know it’s a cliché and it’s been spoken of for the last numbers of years, but that middle third – if you match up Cork’s middle third and Clare’s middle third, well there’s going to be some collisions in there.

Cork’s best weapon is attacking. Cork can’t wait, they have to play hurling on the front foot.

If you look through games throughout the year, when Cork sat off and played on the back foot they struggled but when they played front-foot hurling, every guy attacking, every guy wanting the ball, no fear of making a mistake or fear of retribution of making that mistake; there’s a freedom to it and I think it’s the only way Cork can play hurling.

Verdict: Cork

PODGE COLLINS

How Clare and Cork match up against each other is very different to how Cork and Limerick would match up against each other, how Clare and Limerick would match up against each other.

We've been fortunate enough to come out on the right side of the