Their very presence today indicates that Waterford have risen to the challenge. And while only time can be the arbiter of the following proposition, their league run . . . and specifically their feat in gutting it out against Tipp and Cork . . . will at very worst do them no actual harm come the championship, irrespective its ultimate outcome.

There is no downside for Waterford this afternoon.

Granted, on the face of it, a team that took all their time to dispose of an injury-hit Tipperary and an insipid Cork shouldn't beat Kilkenny;

certainly the holders will stretch and pick away at the Waterford rearguard in a way that Cork didn't. If the saunter of Kilkenny's win over a Wexford team that ran like a dairy goat can be quickly discounted, moreover, the memory of the calmness and precision with which they went about their business for such time as the outcome was a going concern should not be.

PJ Ryan and Brian Hogan are the men in possession of the number one and three championship jerseys as of 3.45pm today; Jackie Tyrrell is playing with the confidence of an All Ireland-winning captain; Tommy Walsh is merely another member of the defence; Derek Lyng's buccaneering performance in the semi-final was his best in an age; Richie Power continues to grow steadily into the shirt;

and such has been the depth and consistency of Eddie Brennan's all-round contribution, it's becoming ever more difficult to remember the years when he was a flighty corner-forward of chronically indifferent decision-making.

With Aidan Kearney shaping up as a notable, ballattacking find in defence, it's the challengers' thoughtfulness and rigour up front that may be more of an issue today. For the first half a fortnight ago, Waterford employed, with some success, the tactic of switching the sliotar diagonally to the opposite flank of their attack. For much of the second half prior to the finishing surge, they employed, with no success at all, the tactic of belting it forward to an attack in which each member appeared to be located precisely wherever the mood took him. On their day the Deise extemporise far better than most teams, but this was disorganised dissonance.

Full and fireproof concentration is another undeniable priority. In the 2004 All Ireland semi-final they all but ushered Henry Shefflin in for an early goal, leaked two more before the interval and found themselves with the Comeraghs to climb. Doze off in front of the telly for 10 minutes in the second half today, as they did in their last two outings, and they'll wake up to discover that Kilkenny have grabbed hold of the zapper and stitched 2-2 into them in the meantime. Full concentration also entails absolute discipline; for Dan Shanahan to thrust his head in Sean Og O hAilpin's face a fortnight ago, admittedly in time-honoured hold-meback-or-I'll-kill-him fashion, was pure silly.

One last sine qua non. The Waterford forwards must have the balls to take a straight line to goal today and commit the last defender instead of settling for the easy option of tapping over the point. In 11 championship outings against top-class opposition over the past three seasons, they've outgoaled the enemy on only three occasions, the most recent being against Cork in the 2004 provincial decider. Man does not win All Irelands by points alone.

The outcome here? Waterford to score plenty, concede more and fall short by two or three points. Result? Everyone goes home reasonably happy. As for the aforementioned doomsday situation, it's obvious: the holders win pulling a battleship. That's the doomsday situation. For Kilkenny.

KILKENNY PJ Ryan; N Hickey, B Hogan, JJ Delaney; J Tyrrell, J Tennyson, T Walsh; D Lyng, W O'Dwyer; E Brennan, M Comerford, R Power; H Shef"in (c), J Fitzpatrick, A Fogarty WATERFORD C Hennessy; E Murphy, D Prendergast, J Murray; T Browne, K McGrath, A Kearney; M Walsh (c), S Molumphy; E Kelly, S Prendergast, S Walsh; J Mullane, D Shanahan, J Kennedy NHL DIVISION 1 FINAL KILKENNY vWATERFORD Referee S Roche (Tipperary) Semple Stadium, 3.45 Live, TG4, 3.30