The surprise of last week's result cuts both ways. Waterford played well above the expectations of most but Clare also contributed to the outcome by performing visibly below-par. How and where these variations were connected is open to question but we can expect answers tomorrow.

Most surprising was the eclipse of Clare's central defence and the match demonstrated the extent to which the team rely on Brian Lohan's command of the full-back line and Sean McMahon's domination of his own 40. With Waterford's vigorous forwards closing in on them, Clare's defence in general seemed uncomfortable at the lack of time and space which their physique and pace normally buys them.

McMahon wasn't beaten by any of the three markers tried on him but he wasn't his customary self at the foundation of the team's attack either. If more urgent question marks hang over Lohan, it is because his high standards have been more consistently upheld over the last four years.

In the Munster final four years ago McMahon struggled but recovered to build a distinguished reputation. Even last year, he showed an ability to survive scary moments on Declan Ryan before asserting himself. Lohan, on the other hand, hasn't had to pick up his game after such a high-profile reverse - his early difficulties with Alan Browne in the Cork match didn't hurt the team and anyway, Browne exercises something of a hoodoo on him - but given the intensity of Lohan's attitude and the range of his game, it's almost inconceivable that he won't recover and reduce the figures in brackets after Anthony Kirwan's name.

The problems in defence weren't unique. Colin Lynch had his first poor championship outing and up front the graduates to this year's starting lineup, David Forde and Niall Gilligan, lacked the brio normally associated with them. This fluctuation in form throughout the team has triggered an extraordinary revision of Clare's prospects, from All-Ireland certainties to a team in potentially terminal decline.

Waterford's achievement was immense. It was their first big match and they got off to a dreadful start, conceding a goal within two minutes, and trailed by eight points at half-time. Limerick pulled 10 points off Tipperary in the second half of the 1996 Munster final but eight points against . . . Clare.

The challengers also have room for improvement. Neither of their big guns up front really fired, although Paul Flynn did more than Ken McGrath, who suffocated in the middle before finding a bit more room on the wing. Leaving aside his devastating 20-metre free at the end, Flynn probed a reasonable amount and always threatened to draw the foul. But his free-taking was erratic and his vision on the ball seemed at times blinkered to the best option.

Waterford will also be more confident facing into the replay as they have showed their ability to compete on equal terms with the champions. The major weakness is likely to be the full-back line, with Sean Cullinane doubtful after last week's injury and the sector prone to creaking anyway.

Exploiting this will require Clare to move the ball into the full forwards in both greater quantity and quality. The team's reliance on taking points from out the field has been at the expense of creating goal opportunities close in and Markham's effort last week - the team's only one this championship - was blessed with good fortune.

In the end, the preference here is for Clare because it is believed that they have greater room for improvement and that even if Waterford arrive in Thurles with their self-confidence enhanced, Clare's competitive instincts will be sharpened. For all the players who under-performed last week, there were others who kept the ship afloat.

Primarily Jamesie O'Connor, whose scoring efforts are now bankers, drove Clare's game but Ollie Baker was vital in counteracting Tony Browne's excellence at centrefield and Anthony Daly worked to establish order in a slightly chaotic defence.

Waterford are closer to Clare than most people had imagined but although the gap between the teams' capacities has narrowed, it won't close this time around.

Clare: D Fitzgerald; F Lohan, B Lohan, B Quinn; L Doyle, S McMahon, A Daly; C Lynch, O Baker; J O'Connor, C Clancy, D Scanlan; N Gilligan, E Taaffe, A Markham.

Waterford: B Landers; T Feeney, S Cullinane, B Flannery; S Frampton, F Hartley, B Greene; T Browne, P Queally; D Shanahan, K McGrath, D Bennett; M White, A Kirwan, P Flynn.