Intriguing battle ahead for Liam McCarthy

Whatever way you look at this afternoon's All-Ireland senior hurling final between champions Cork and pretenders to the throne Galway, it seems John Allen's Rebels will come out on top (Croke Park, throw-in 3.30pm).

The experience, the sound defence, the Hurler-of-the-Year-elect in John Gardiner, Sean Óg as captain, Diarmuid 'the Rock', Brian Corcoran the goal-getter…the list in favour goes on and on.

The fact that this is a settled Cork panel's third straight All-Ireland final will be key to how they go today. Surely it's worth two or three points to them, or at least, a headstart in the early skirmishes.

Quiet-spoken manager Allen has only used 20 players in his first championship season in charge of Cork, which has seen them defeat Waterford, Tipperary, Waterford again and Clare to date - another plus.

But this is sport, and the fastest field game's blue riband day. Anything that's predictable goes out the window.

Who could have foreseen that Conor Hayes' Galway, dumped out of the last year's championship on a 19-point hiding by Kilkenny, would hit Tipp and Kilkenny for a collective 7-38 in battling through this summer's knock-out stages to the county's first All-Ireland final since 2001?

The redoubtable Hayes, with the knowledge of two All-Ireland wins in 1987 and 1988 as team captain behind him, has almost single-handedly fired hurling back into the mindset of the Irish sporting public.

The sport had been overshadowed by football for billing and attendance numbers for a couple of seasons but, thanks to an epic few games, it's coming back off the ropes.

Hayes is the Kevin Keegan of hurling, judging by the fact that his side have scored 7-38 in their last two outings, while conceding 6-36.

Galway's speedy forwards, with their low centres of gravity, will offer an iron test for the vaunted Cork backs.

At the other end, Cork's attack, which is headed by modern-day stars Ben O'Connor, Brian Corcoran and Joe Deane, should have an edge on the Galway rearguard, despite Portumna style-merchant Ollie Canning's presence amongst a sextet of 21 to 24-year-olds.

Both sides are unchanged for today's encounter, meaning Kevin Broderick, who impressed as a substitute against the Cats, remains on the Galway bench, and the unfortunate Wayne Sherlock and Neil Ronan are also kept in reserve by Cork.

Galway have averaged 2-23 in five games, Cork 1-18 in four games. Somehow these statistics are going to have to even out. Perhaps today is the day that the championship's top scorer Ger Farragher, the 22-year-old deadball diamond from Castlegar, has an off-day?

Cork for a 30th title, or Galway for a fourth, and first since 1988 when Hayes was skipper and full-back? The chance to avenge Galway's 5-15 to 2-21 loss to the Rebels in the 1990 final is certainly there for the taking.

No matter what happens, just sit back (or perch), whatever your preference, and enjoy the glorious ebb and flow of the game.

GALWAY: L Donoghue (Capt); D Joyce, T Og Regan, O Canning; D Hardiman, S Kavanagh, D Collins; F Healy, D Tierney; R Murray, D Forde, A Kerins; G Farragher, N Healy, D Hayes.

CORK: D Og Cusack; B Murphy, D O'Sullivan, P Mulcahy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Og O'hAilpin (Capt); J O'Connor, T Kenny; K Murphy, N McCarthy, T McCarthy; B O'Connor, B Corcoran, J Deane.

Referee: S Roche (Tipperary).