Every big match is a battle of wills. Two teams come with a plan and try to ram it down the other team’s throats. For most of the last 10 years nobody has had a stronger plan than Limerick. From game to game, everybody knew what it was but that didn’t mean they could do anything about it.That will be the biggest challenge for Galway on Sunday: how can they dictate the terms of engagement? How can they impose what they want to do and drag Limerick out of their shape?They managed that in the Leinster final against Dublin and in the All-Ireland semi-final against Cork, but neither of those teams are as tactically sophisticated or hard-headed as Limerick.I’ve been saying for years that the best way to play against Limerick is to push up. Even with the way Galway are set up now they still have that option. In the first half against Cork, and for the whole Leinster final, they sat off the puckouts and allowed the opposition to go short.The danger with doing that against Limerick is that they are so well versed in moving the second and third ball from a short puckout that they will create shooting opportunities. Cork eventually worked that out and had a purple patch in the middle of the first half, but they weren’t able to cope when Galway changed their shape in the second half and pushed up on the Cork puckout.Over the years, Limerick have come up against every kind of approach. For Galway it will come down to being better than Limerick at something that Limerick are already brilliant at. If it’s a case of forcing Limerick to go long and getting the puckouts to ground, they’re going to be have to be better than Limerick at winning the second balls and the rucks. In the second half of the All-Ireland semi-final, Clare lost that battle.If Galway push up on the puckouts, Tom Monaghan and Darragh Neary are going to have to cheat a bit on Kyle Hayes and Diarmaid Byrnes. Tempt Nickie Quaid to go to his wing backs, while also being in a position to chase back the field and be in the landing area for a long puckout. Limerick have seen all that before too.Against Limerick, Galway are up against a much better goalkeeper than they were against Cork or Dublin. Nobody is better than Quaid at working out the percentages.Limerick's goalkeeper Nickie Quaid. Photograph: James Crombie/INPHO To wrestle the momentum away from Limerick, Galway are going to have to use their legs and their athleticism and run at their opponents. That’s what worked for Cork on their best days against Limerick over the last three years.Galway are also going to need to score from distance, which has been one of their strengths this season. If there are times in the game when Jason Rabbitte is isolated inside, he won’t ever be one-on-one. Limerick are never dragged out the field to that extent. Their back six will basically hold their positions.So, Galway will need to win possession in the middle third and run at Limerick from there, or set up scoring opportunities from distance. All of that sounds grand in theory.Limerick made hard work of beating Cork by a point in the Munster final, when they were probably six or seven points better than them. They didn’t reach their usual levels of performance in the All-Ireland semi-final either. In both games they found a way to win, which is what Limerick have done more than any other team since 2018.The calmness and composure they showed in the last 15 minutes against Clare was years in the making. You can’t fast-track that kind of experience. They don’t panic. Under John Kiely they have played in 19 finals and won 18 of them. The only final they lost was on penalties. They expect to win big games.For Galway to have reached an All-Ireland, with a totally new way of playing and a team that was turned inside out since last year, is a massive achievement for this management team and these players.Galway's Aaron Niland in action against Cork. Photograph: James Crombie/INPHO When we won the All-Ireland in 2017, Joshua Ryan was one of the team mascots. Jason Rabbitte and Aaron Niland only sat their Leaving Certs last year. Until the Leinster final, a third of the team had never played for Galway in Croke Park. The difference in experience between Limerick and Galway is massive and on a day like this that could be a telling factor.But this Galway team have played without fear. I don’t care how good or bad Kilkenny were this year, to hammer them in the league and to beat them by nearly as much in the championship shows the mentality of these players.[ I have covered 32 All-Ireland hurling finals for The Irish Times – a lot has changed in the gameOpens in new window ]Like any team with so many young players they haven’t been consistent. They were poor at home against Dublin in Salthill, and they were terrible in the first half against Kildare and Wexford. But they reversed that Dublin result spectacularly in the Leinster final, and they came back strongly to beat Kildare and Wexford. Good second halves have been a pattern in their performances.They’re going to have to work like dogs to stay in the fight and be incredibly efficient in their shooting. Limerick didn’t put up big totals in their last two matches, which is unlike them. Aaron Gillane has been taken off in the last two games but he’s the kind of player who could come out on Sunday and cut loose.Do Galway have a chance on Sunday? Absolutely. But for Galway to win they will need to get everything right and Limerick will need to be a little bit off. That’s a lot to ask for in an All-Ireland final.