The case for the defence: Offaly's Kevin Martin and Kilkenny's Willie O'Connor - Part II

Position: Corner back

Club: Glenmore

Age: 33

Height/weight: 5ft 7in/12st 5lb

Championship debut: 1992 v Wexford

Major honours: Two All-Ireland senior medals; six Leinster senior medals; two National Hurling League medals, two Railway Cup medals; three All Stars; one Leinster under-21 medal; one All-Ireland club medal.

Player's view

"I don't think there is any extra pressure this year. I mean there's pressure there no matter what you do. We're just delighted to get another chance to make up for the last two. Being nervous is just part of the preparation.

The win over Galway was slightly easier than we thought it would be but D J's goal obviously made a big difference. Galway are probably a bit young and fell apart in the second half. And it was probably the same in the Leinster final as well.

There have been a few changes in the defence this year. Noel Hickey is a very good catch and brings a lot to the full-back line. Overall, I think the team is training that bit better this year and the camp seems to be a bit happier.

Of course we know all the Offaly players and they're all big names themselves. But it's a two-horse race. There is always talk about them not caring about the Leinster final but they certainly played awful for the first half against us. It was only when we went five or six points ahead that they started to give up. You could actually see their heads drop after that but you don't know how well they were prepared for it.

Being favourites for this doesn't make our jerseys any heavier. There's no fear going out there. If we go out and have a good day then we can win and it's the same for Offaly. Of course a bit of luck will play a part as well. But you have to play your cards right and be prepared for whatever comes up on the table.

Opponent's View:

Michael O'Grady (former Dublin manager)

"Well we had a bad day against them, no doubt about that. On the day, there was no real contest with our forwards. To be honest, I can't say how good they are because it was enough to watch the 15 blue shirts, to see how they were doing. We had no score for most of the second half, but finished off with three points, thanks be to God."

Overview: Eamonn Cregan

Irish Times anlayst

"Kilkenny goalkeeper James McGarry hasn't been thoroughly tested this year and the backs are playing well within themselves but that's not to say there's no problems. Philip Larkin has been under pressure and had a lot of difficulty with Brendan Murphy in the Leinster final despite wing back being a position which should have suited him better than corner back where he was last year.

Larkin has to impose himself on the game and show more consistency. The two half-back lines are vital. Eamonn Kennedy is now at centre back with Pat O'Neill retired. O'Neill had a very good positional sense and the question is will Kennedy be able to read it as well as O'Neill because Offaly will drop ball on Gary Hanniffy."