If you're going to beat Kilkenny and deny them their place in the annals of hurling history you might as well do it when they are at full strength. That's the mentality of Tipperary boss Liam Sheedy anyway.
That said the Premier County supremo must have been muttering to himself on Friday night when his Kilkenny counterpart Brian Cody named totemic leader Henry Shefflin at centre-forward and the inspirational John Tennyson at centre-back for Sunday's eagerly-awaited All-Ireland SHC final.
Ballyhale Shamrocks star Shefflin was expected to miss the hurling decider immediately after suffering a cruciate ligament injury during the Cats' comfortable All-Ireland SHC semi-final victory over Cork.
However, the nine-time All-Ireland winner has been back in action with the squad in recent weeks without showing any adverse reaction and has been deemed fit to start in the half-forward line.
Tennyson was also considered a doubt due to a ruptured cruciate suffered in the build-up to the semi-final but Cody has decided that he is fit enough to take the injured Brian Hogan's place in the starting line-up.
Whether Shefflin or Tennyson actually start the game remains to be seen but it matters little really as Cody has a bench full of subs that would walk on to any inter-county team in the country. That's Kilkenny. We know all about them. We love them. They are on the verge of immortality. It's unlikely they will fail mentally and freeze on the day. And their physical intensity and will to win is second to none.
So what can Tipperary bring to the party? And can they prevent the 'drive for five'? They nearly prevented Kilkenny winning their fourth successive All-Ireland crown 12 months ago.
A dodgy penalty decision swung things in the Cats' favour and the rest, as they say, is history. The Munster kingpins will have to come up with a similar strategy for Sunday's clash and then double it if they are to collar the Cats.
Sheedy's men have bounced back from an early season defeat to Cork and are now, like last year, the only ones capable of spoiling Kilkenny's party.
Can they do it? Of course they can. After all it's just sport. It's just a game. Anything can happen. However, Tipperary will have to take every chance they get and benefit from every decision that comes their way.
With so much at stake, all the pressure is on the Cats to deliver. Tipperary are the one team in the country capable of causing them problems, but do they have the belief and, more importantly, killer instinct, to stop them?
The pulsating win over Galway at the quarter-final stage put to bed the theory that Sheedy's charges couldn't close out close games and they displayed a ruthless streak in front of goal against Davy Fitzgerald's Deise last time out.
Tipperary should not be lacking in confidence and the experience of being involved in hurling's biggest day will stand to them.
If the men from Thurles, Borrisoleigh, Newport and the likes can stop Kilkenny scoring goals it could be closer than last year. It might even be a draw - the first since 1959.
Verdict: Draw