Former Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins feels Clare can grab “a huge opportunity” and defeat Limerick in this weekend’s Munster senior hurling championship final.

The Banner men face the All-Ireland champions on Sunday at the TUS Gaelic Grounds (1.45pm) looking to land their first provincial crown in 25 years and deny their neighbours a fifth in-a-row in the process.

Speaking on the RTE GAA Podcast ahead of this weekend’s Munster and Leinster hurling finals, Cummins said it’s a game which Brian Lohan's charges need get across the line in having lost out to the same opposition at the same stage last year.

"Clare have a huge opportunity. If I'm a Clare player, I’m saying, 'It’s no fluke that we’re close to this Limerick crowd and it’s about time we got across the line’,” said the two-time All-Ireland winner.

"They need to get across the line after last year’s experience, the Munster final and the beating they got in the All-Ireland semi from Kilkenny.

"They have to be ravenous for this. If they lose this, the narrative after the game is that Limerick are still better than everybody else, no matter what way you paint it. 'Clare fell at the final hurdle again, gallant losers', all that stuff you hate to hear as a player.

"I think they will jump the fence this weekend, because of that hurt, the fear of that happening and the resilience they have. That might be enough. Deep down inside, they won’t want to wake up beaten on Monday morning, more than the Limerick lads.

"A loss is a huge psychological thing at this time of the year. If Limerick win, they become red-hot favourites to win the All-Ireland with the rest that they’re going to get."

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