Banner ready for showdown
Obviously, it was also influenced by the high rating of the Tipp side after their early season form and their display in a cracking Allianz League final with Kilkenny.
But then the happenings in Páirc Uí Chaoimh three weeks ago served as a useful reminder that League form can rarely be used as a reliable guide more so when it relates to Clare.
Brian Lohan, who was captain up to last year's All-Ireland final, believes that their great Premier rivals, fell
victim to hype which circulated in the week prior to their championship opener.
"Definitely we weren't as tuned in for the League as maybe we should have been. And it was maybe a case that Tipp were too much tuned in," he says.
"They possibly concentrated a little bit too much and maybe they had gone to the well once too often already this year and were found out a bit.
"We were sort of laying in the long grass for them. They weren't able to respond on the day in the same way, I suppose, that Cork are laying in the long grass for us."
And so to their League meeting. A Cusack Park day when neither team played particularly well, is Lohan's recollection of that bout, But, he adds quickly how impressed he was by the resilience shown by the visitors.
"They had a good bit of fight in them and they stuck it out better than we did. You'd have to give them credit. We were at home and you'd expect that, with the little bit of added pressure that brings, we would have responded a bit better when things were tight in the second half. But we didn't and they did. That's certainly a plus for them."
It's noteworthy that while they have met Tipperary every year for the last four, Clare's last championship clash with Cork was in 1999, in the final. It marked a significant breakthrough for Cork at the time and while Lohan appreciates that they had a huge incentive, he looks back on the game as one that the Banner men allowed slip through their fingers.
"We definitely were disappointed with our performance that day, but you'd have to give credit to Cork for the way they won that game and for going on to win the All-Ireland."
When asked if Clare can reproduce their Páirc Uí Chaoimh form on Sunday, Lohan made the interesting observation that he didn't feel their form that day was anything hectic. Indeed, he felt that the winning margin against Tipperary flattered them and that it wouldn't be repeated in any other championship match this year
"I think that with the way Tipp played that they played so badly on the day we were made look very good," he commented.
These last few days he has been attempting to come to terms with the fact that for the first time since he played championship hurling for Clare, he won't have Seán McMahon playing in front of him.
But, of course, Lohan himself is relieved to be playing, after injuring his knee in the opening minutes of the Tipp game. After intensive treatment, he is hopeful for the best on Sunday.
But, he knows that he will miss McMahon and that the team will miss their captain.
"Since I have started playing full-back I have had only one centre-back outside me and that's Seán McMahon. He has a huge presence on the team, not just this year but going back over the last ten years.
He is going to be a serious loss for us. But at the same time we have a good panel."
By coincidence, the team's vice-captain is Frank Lohan and he will lead out the team on Sunday.
He appreciates that it is an honour for his brother, but the bottom line is that he is only deputising.
"Like everyone else, he will be out to make sure that Seanie is given the chance of leading us out again hopefully, in the Munster final.
If we are beaten, you are looking at the qualifiers the following Saturday. You can be sure that there will be a special effort by everyone to give him that opportunity."
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