Tackling and turnovers in historic heat key to All-Ireland glory

Before you even start talking about the match, you could start talking about the mad weather that's coming the weekend, the injury to Cian Lynch, or the injury to Hawk-Eye.

Well, it sounds as if Limerick are going to be without the services of hurler of the year Lynch. That’s very harsh on Cian, and you would have to feel sorry for him.

Forget about Limerick, we all want to see the best players playing on the biggest day. The only positive for Limerick is they have been without him all year. In saying that, in a dressing room you always get a bit of a jolt from seeing your main lads togged out, and it is a sucker punch seeing a lad in a full tracksuit.

But Limerick have dealt with adversity and I'm sure this will be no different.

Then Hawk-Eye, well, it was a laughing stock last weekend. It's simple for me: Test it and if it's working, use it, but if they are not 100% confident, forget about it. But they need to let everybody know by today at the latest.

The other thing they need to let people know is how teams can have access to water at the weekend. Again, a reminder that the players are humans and not machines. I would love to see common sense prevail, and allow two maor uisces for each team on Sunday, who can go in and give players water. Thirty degrees will be no fun, and you would think the GAA will come up with something for the safety of the players.

So, onto the main event then. Personally, I don’t get how Limerick are such a warm order? What is it based on? The past or the present? Because if it’s the present, surely their performances against Galway, against Clare, and say against Tipp would make them far from worthy favourites for Sunday.

If it’s the past, it is a different year with a fit Peter Casey and a fit Cian