It is a tribute to Limerick's extraordinary resurgence that a pairing, which little over a month ago would have excited little interest beyond the counties involved, is now a keenly anticipated Guinness Munster final.

In a way, it also illustrates the difference between the teams. Tipp have been around a while at this stage, Limerick have come from nowhere.

This is a distinction that would traditionally benefit Tipperary. The growth of a team is a painstaking process and rarely occurs in one hothouse burst. Initial development is generally followed by a setback or two, a bit more tinkering and eventual fulfilment. On that basis, Tipperary are nearer their destination.

Whereas the beaten opponents had definite shortcomings, Limerick's wins were praiseworthy affairs. Beating Munster champions Cork in the Pβirc, against the wind in the last 10 minutes is a substantial achievement for a county without a championship win in four years. Similarly, having failed to eat into Waterford's half-time lead at all in the third quarter, Limerick were impressive in the final blitz that demolished the opposition.

Yet, there is still a lot to be learned and the suspicion is that Tipperary have already learned much of it. There was general disappointment at the quality of the Clare-Tipp match, but it held many positives for Tipp. There was the winning of a match that had been played almost entirely on the opposition's terms, tight, claustrophobic and low scoring.

Then, there was the response to adversity when John Leahy's match ended after less than a minute and finally there was the serendipitous emergence of an improved formation, with David Kennedy's restoration to centre back and Paul Kelly's move to centrefield, which is maintained tomorrow.

Looking around the field, you wonder where Limerick can make the sort of inroads that proved so devastating in the previous two matches. Brian Begley was the tool of destruction against Waterford and played well on Diarmuid O'Sullivan in the Cork match. His physique may trouble Philip Maher but Niall Gilligan, who admittedly had a general nightmare of a game but is normally dependable in the air, didn't take much of a toll on his marker.

If Begley was the best forward the last day, Ollie Moran has been the outstanding attacker over the two matches. His clash with Kennedy is interesting because Galway's Joe Rabbitte bothered the Tipp centre back in the air during last year's All-Ireland quarter-final. Moran poses a more varied threat but won't want to let his standards slip because Tipperary's defence is of a far higher consistency than either of the teams beaten by Limerick so far.

Neither has Moran had a lot of support on the wings. Paul O'Grady's free-taking has been nerveless but he is less consistent in general play. Mark Keane has paid the price of two indifferent displays and makes way for debutant Seβn O'Connor.

If it all looks a bit uphill for Limerick at that end of the field, the other sectors aren't any flatter. Tommy Dunne and Paul Kelly form a high-class midfield pairing for Tipperary whereas their opponents' combination is more durable and athletic. In other words, Tipp will get results here through touch rather than toil and Ciarβn Carey's arrival may again be necessary.

One of the talked-up advantages of Limerick is that their young and uninhibited forwards could run amok if they get an open match. The trouble with this scenario is that an open match is going to benefit Tipperary more than any other county except Kilkenny.

Eddie Enright needs to make sure Carey doesn't exploit his man's wanderings to hit the road himself. Mark O'Leary never really recovered from Gerry Quinn's attack on him at the start of the Clare match but has faded out of more than one match and will be under pressure to execute his precise finishing skills again in a big match, particularly against Mark Foley who is having an inspired year.

Declan Ryan remains the fulcrum of the attack and provides a platform for the prodigious Eoin Kelly and his companion, teenage corner forward Lar Corbett. TJ Ryan has plenty of hurling but how will he cope with Ryan's physical presence?

The combined advantages of three years' team-building, last summer's experience and superiority in key areas adds up to Tipperary's first Munster title in eight years.