When Paul Flynn stood over the 100metre free awarded in injury-time of last week's Guinness Munster hurling final, the whole world was briefly stood on its head.

The prospect of Waterford winning a first provincial title in 35 years became a distinct possibility. That of itself would be a memorable breakthrough, but the defeat of Clare would have suggested the end of an era.

Last week it was difficult to find those who didn't believe that Clare were going to win the Munster final. The champions' performance in defeating Cork had ensured that Waterford, in their first final since 1989, had a relatively pressure-free run-up to the match.

When champions get beaten, it's nearly always a surprise, but such was the aura of invincibility emanating from Clare that one commentator was moved to say it would be "a sensation" if they didn't retain their All-Ireland title.

That Waterford not alone survived in the furnace but recovered an eight-point deficit in the second half and were in a position to win the match at the finish was a major shock. How did such a reversal of public expectations take place?

The primary instinct is that the All-Ireland champions were unable to conjure up the same mental intensity against Waterford.

"It was always going to be hard to repeat their performance against us," says Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Cork's manager. "The Clare management use the traditional counties factor to motivate the players. But Waterford didn't have much you could say against them.

"It was interesting to see Tony Considine (Clare selector) attacking Gerald Mac (McCarthy, Waterford manager and former Cork All-Ireland medallist) during the week. I'd say that's part of the mind games."

Len Gaynor, whose Tipperary team was defeated by Waterford in the semi-final, wasn't that surprised by the challengers' good showing.

"Clare had been on a high against Cork and it was going to be an effort to raise themselves again."

Diarmuid Healy, the Kilkenny man who took Offaly to two All-Ireland titles, forecast last week that it would be in Clare's best interest to give a less convincing performance than they had put up against Cork - because of the difficulty of sustaining that level of intensity.

"Clare weren't as ravenous as they were against Cork," he says. "That day they weren't going to be beaten, but there wasn't that passion there on Sunday.

"I'd say Loughnane was pleased because 90 per cent of his job getting their psychology right is now done. They've more of a chance now that they've been brought back to earth. Players read the sort of stuff that's been written about them - and they've not even won a Munster title."

Nicky Brennan, manager of the Kilkenny team which lost to Clare in last year's All-Ireland semi-final, believes one of the primary influences was the wind. "It was very important that Waterford decided to play against the wind. I felt in their first Munster final, they needed something to fall back on.

"Misses in the first half left them a difficult task and if they had had the wind and gone in not enough up, it would have looked bad for them. Even though they had the wind to come, they might have been demoralised because they hadn't got what they deserved out of playing well in the first half."

Waterford's recovery was assisted by the failure of a number of Clare's big names to function to their usual standards on the day. Most particularly, the spine of the defence was unprecedentedly ineffective. Whereas none of the players tried on Sean McMahon got the better of him, Clare's centre back didn't dominate the match as is customarily the case.

"Seanie McMahon didn't clear any ball," says Barry-Murphy, "and that's a loss to Clare when you consider that against us he was the dominant influence on the game."

If it was McMahon's quietest championship match since the nightmare Munster final of 1994, behind him Brian Lohan - the game's best full back for the last three years - had his most difficult championship assignment full stop with Anthony Kirwan scoring 2-1 off him.

According to Diarmuid Healy: "Someone said to me that when Lohan missed the ball, he was slow turning and getting back. I said it's the first time he ever had to go back like that. But I'd say he'll recover, it's more an embarrassment than anything else."

Healy also queries Clare's preparation. "It would be interesting to know was their training stepped down. Or if anything was done to ensure they'd struggle a bit before getting better again."

Len Gaynor also wonders about the approach. "Their whole approach looked jaded, which would indicate they were training heavily before the game."

Nicky Brennan sees simpler reasons behind any potential problems of Clare's. "They've been on the road for three years and that's an immense mileage. There comes a time when a group of players have been together a long time and while the head says one thing, the body says another. Kilkenny in 1991, '92 and '93 went to three All-Ireland finals. By '94, they were still plenty young but the bodies has basically seized up."

Despite Clare's below-par display, everyone is impressed by Waterford's achievement in the team's first Munster final, particularly in light of a disappointing first half.

"Waterford didn't play to their potential and looked nervous in the first half, particularly," says Healy. Both teams can play better, but remember it was Waterford's first match in front of 50,000 people. And they had to meet the President, which mightn't seem a big thing, but Clare have been through it before and Waterford haven't."

"There's great credit due to Waterford," says Brennan. "Firstly for a wonderful game and nearly winning it in the end. You could see their players were even disappointed at the end as if they'd missed a chance. But you still wouldn't make Clare racing certainties for the final."

"Compared to our team," says Barry-Murphy of Waterford, "their forwards are much stronger because their maturity vis a vis Cork is greater, they're four or five years older and further down the line."

Gaynor agrees. "They're strong on the ball and don't get knocked about. Shanahan and McGrath are big men. Kirwan's not that big but hardy and Flynn is very hardy. Billy O'Sullivan was caught in possession a couple of times and has paid the price (being replaced for tomorrow by Michael White. There's a new attitude in Waterford, they're not going to be easily put away and will make an impact.

"They're so fast, they can get possession first and any team that can do that has a very good chance. Clare have hounded the opposition and generally got to the ball first but Waterford's forwards are fit and speedy and the Clare backs found it hard to clear ball. Clare are used to winning with speed and fitness but now they've found a team that can match them."

For all the reservations, everyone except Gaynor (who sees it as 50-50) believes that Clare should come through the replay with their provincial crown intact. What Waterford have achieved is to have provided a sort of therapy to the nation.

As Diarmuid Healy describes the effect of last week's draw on Clare's fearsome reputation: "People in Kilkenny were saying the day after, they're mortals after all."