Clash of the Titans, Cats to prevail.

All Ireland Senior Hurling Final

Croke Park, Dublin. 3.30 pm Sunday September 4^th. (Ref Brian Gavin, Offaly)

And so here we are. The 1^st Sunday in September means the All Ireland Hurling Final, and for the third year in a row the two protagonists are those nearest and dearest rivals, Kilkenny and Tipperary. Kilkenny were the cream of the crop in the last decade, sweeping all before them as they powered to 7 titles in a remarkable 10 year span. However the last of those titles, in 2009, saw them scrape home against a feisty and confident Tipperary crop and many pundits foresaw a potential changing of the guard.

This passing of the baton did indeed happen in the summer and autumn of 2010, as Tipperary ended a 9 year drought with a convincing win over the All Ireland Champions in the final fuelled by Lar Corbett’s magnificent hat trick. The fact that Tipperary denied Kilkenny’s famous bid for 5 in a row was added cause for celebration in the locales of Thurles, Horse and Jockey, Mullinahone and the likes.

When the dust settled on the celebrations, and on the wound licking that was taking place over the black and amber border, a question arose in the minds of observers and fans alike. Was this truly the start of a new era, and a new dominant force, or was it simply a case of Kilkenny being denied once and coming back with a vengeance, as has been their wont before?

We are probably within a couple of days, at the time of writing, of finding out the answer.

This year has been a bit ho-hum, truth be told, and while Dublin’s progression has given a sense of the new and unfamiliar to the championship, it was overshadowed from a long way out by the likelihood of this final being the one before us when we reached September.

The respective routes to the final have been pretty similar as well.

Kilkenny started off with what should have been a tricky tie, in the Leinster Semi Final, against Wexford down in Wexford Park, but this turned into a stroll in the evening sun as the Cats ended up 11 point victors without really breaking a sweat.

The Leinster Final saw an eagerly awaited clash with a jubilant and confident Dublin side, and this was the first time the Cats really bared their claws in the summer, comfortably beating the Dublin men by 4-17 to 1-15. A statement of intent that will have been noted by Slievenamon you can be sure.

As Leinster victors, Kilkenny awaited their opponents in the All Ireland Semi Finals, and those opponents turned out to be Tipperary’s Munster victims, Waterford.  Waterford were suitably chastened by that experience, and while they were rehabilitated against Galway, they never really looked like upsetting Kilkenny, and were almost content, you felt, to lose by just 6 points.

Over the road, Tipperary started off with 2 ties, against Cork and Clare, which bore a passing resemblance to Kilkenny and Wexford. They were never really stretched, never really at full pelt and always in control.

If Kilkenny made a statement in the Leinster Final, Tipperary answered with aplomb in the Munster decider. Rattling 7 goals past a kamikaze style defensive set up is one thing, but looking so hungry doing it is quite another and dispelled any thoughts that Tipp would be resting easy this year.

And so the semi-final. As Kilkenny flattered to deceive against a Waterford side Tipp had destroyed, so too did Tipperary struggle mightily to overcome a depleted Dublin side which Kilkenny had spanked in the Leinster Final.

At the end of the day, amidst all the toing and froing, it was hard to escape the conclusion that both sides were exactly where they wanted to be. A lethal showing early in the summer to show their potential, a lack lustre semi-final performance against a team their rivals trounced, and the sight of each other staring across the Liam McCarthy Cup. What better way to be preparing for the All Ireland Final?

So, what will happen? If I knew that, I’d be a rich man, and if it was easy to know there’d be a lot of rich men and women.  In trying to make an intelligent pre-appraisal of what might happen in a final, you try to look at what you know, and try to minimise the ‘maybes’. With that in mind, I’m actually going for a Kilkenny victory on Sunday evening, in what will hopefully be another classic.

The reason I am coming down on the side of Kilkenny is twofold.

·         Kilkenny half back line. The way in which Tipperary play ball into their forwards is absolutely lethal against backlines that are not prepared for it, and for players that are not of the same calibre as the Tipperary forwards. In Kilkenny I think they will meet a team who will let their full back line stay as full backs and drop the half back line, featuring stars like Tommy Walsh, JJ Delaney and Brian Hogan into a coverage area where Tipp will be landing deliveries. If Tipp can turn the half backs and get them running towards their own goal, it will be advantage Tipp, but I think Cody will have learned from last year, and from Waterford’s problems, and try to make sure his half backs are attacking the ball at all times.

·         Kilkenny half forward line. I’m a little bit less confident here, as I’d like to see Eoin Larkin out at the wing forward position, but I have a suspicion that the Tipperary half back line can be got at. Conor Mahoney at centre back is a fine player, and a real rock in the heart of the defence, but he can be discommoded by a centre forward who roams. Shefflin will surely pop up all over the place on Sunday, and this could be a factor. Kilkenny’s shooting was poor against Waterford, and more worryingly their decision making was very un-Kilkenny like.  I cannot see Cody suffering that selfishness again, and I look to a much more efficient Kilkenny forward line on Sunday.

I think the game will be won in those areas, and while Pauric Maher is having a great season, and the Tipp Forwards speak for themselves, I think Kilkenny might do enough in those areas which will allow them to build up a winning score. I don’t see Kilkenny getting a lot of goals though, as the Tipp full back line is tight enough and the likely loss of Colm Fennelly will hurt that aspect so keeping Tipp, and the likes of Lar Corbett, Eoin Kelly and Noel McGrath quiet will be vital. I think they can do it.

There will be great hurlers all over the pitch on Sunday, and it should be a treat for all of us who love the game of hurling. I hope it lives up to its promise as this championship needs a good final.

Best of luck to both teams, and to their supporters as well.

Verdict. Kilkenny by 3

NCAA College Football A Primer for the Autumn.

Most people in Ireland are vaguely aware of NCAA (college) American Football. Everyone has heard of the marching bands and the cheerleaders; most have seen ‘Rudy’, ‘the Blind Side’ or one of the other football movies; many have heard of Notre Dame (the Fighting Irish), and quite a few may even have attended the series of games in Dublin which started in the 90s. Notre Dame, Navy, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Boston College and Army all played games in Croke Park or the old Lansdowne Road, and the fixture has renewed in this century with Notre Dame and Navy again in the new Aviva at Lansdowne Road and Penn State and University of Central Florida in Croke Park. 

With BT Sports and ESPN joining forces to add ESPN to the BT Sports package, a lot of sports fans in Ireland have access to a lot of College Football and ,with another memorable occasion sure to take place next year with Boston College and Georgia Tech visiting the Aviva Stadium, let’s take a look at, and try to explain, some of the nuances of the phenomenon that is College Football.

The History

College Football is one of the oldest sports in the United States, and the first National Champion was crowned in 1869 (Princeton). The game back then was much different to what is played today, but essentially the spirit of college football was born then, and this longevity is comparable with anything on this side of the pond.

The early days of the game were dominated by the Ivy League type schools, as names like Princeton, Yale and Harvard dominate the initial roll of honour, but as the game became more popular it spread from its base in the north east and you begin to see champions from the North and Mid West, such as Michigan, Minnesota and Chicago emerge, as well as the initial ‘green shoots’ from the area now dominant, the South. Louisiana State University (LSU) was co-champion in 1908, while Auburn got a share of the title in 1909.

Terms like ‘co-champions’ and ‘got a share of’ hint at one of the frustrating and confusing aspects of this great competition, especially as Irish people are looking in from afar. Until 1998 (more anon) the National Champions were crowned by opinion poll, as crazy as that seems to us. Basically all the schools played their seasons out, and all throughout the season, from week to week, various organisations (such as sports writers, coaches, media outlets etc) published their polls to name their top 25 teams, and more importantly, their number 1. This voting system was essentially, at its simplest, a group of people deciding that IF a team from California (say) were to play a team from Georgia or somewhere like that, which one would probably win, and basing their top 25 on a whole host of hypothetical situations like that.

Of course there were tangible factors as well, such as the results of games against other contenders and the results of other games your opponents played (known as strength of schedule) , but there is no doubt that the entire process was highly unsatisfactory and very subjective. There were also charges of bias towards colleges in the Central or Eastern time zones as voters got to see all those games in the television age, whereas a 7pm game in California had a 10pm kick off in New York and viewing figures suffered accordingly. As each polling organisation obviously felt theirs was the most accurate poll, you had many instances of multiple teams being awarded ‘shares’ in the National Championship, as the NCAA recognised all the polls equally.

In 1998, the NCAA decided to try and name their national champions on the field, which seems obvious to us in Ireland but was a huge step because of the history and politics involved. However their solution (the BCS or Bowl Championship Series), while better than the predecessors, was still fundamentally flawed and based on factors not in the direct control of the competing schools. The system still relied on a combination of the pollsters, plus a highly complex computer weighting algorithm based on strength of schedule, winning margins and other factors, and at the end of it all, the computer spat out the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the country who faced off in a National Championship Game. Of course it was better to have such a game, but critics still pointed to the subjective element involved and there were active proponents of a playoff system such as that operating in the NFL.

In 2014, those proponents got their wish, partially at least, with the introduction of the College Football Playoffs. This development is intended to identify the top 4 teams in the country, and have National Championship Semi Finals and Finals. Of course, given the nature of the season and sheer numbers of eligible teams, the process for arriving at this final four is still quite subjective, and shrouded in a deal of secrecy. Essentially a selection committee has been appointed, made up of very respected figures from the world of College Football and beyond- including, rather bizarrely, Condoleezza Rice. From a period roughly mid season, November 3rd this year, the committee meets weekly and discusses a whole host of factors before publicising their top 25. Each week is supposed to be completely independently evaluated from the prior week, and at the end of the regular season the committee identifies their top 25, including the crucial slots in the top 4, who then go on to play the semi final and final bowl games. (more anon)

The Nicknames

One of the features of college football is the pageantry, history and colour which surrounds the game, and it is this that draws in many casual fans initially. The cheerleaders, mascots and ‘fight songs’ are all big parts of this festival type atmosphere, and all colleges have a nickname, and a theme around their game festivities that is based on that nickname. The nickname is normally either related to the location, wildlife or history of the school itself and some of the more famous include the Notre Dame ‘Fighting Irish’, the Miami ‘Hurricanes’,  The USC ‘Trojans’, Ohio State ‘Buckeyes’ and the Michigan ‘Wolverines’.

Some colleges go to great lengths to promote this nickname, and mascot, and pre game displays can include such scenes as an American Indian from the Seminole Tribe riding on horseback and plunging a burning spear into the end zone as a challenge to Florida State (the Seminoles) opponents. Notre Dame have a somewhat cringeworthy leprechaun, while LSU have a real Bengal Tiger on the sideline during a game. Woe betide any referee that crosses the bayou faithful!

That’s the (very brief) background and history, so let’s take a look how the season is structured, and what you may watch on ESPN  as it unfolds.

The Regular Season

There are 128 schools eligible to compete to be crowned National Champions, and the majority of these schools compete in conferences which are primarily geographically based (similar to our provincial championships in the GAA). Each of these conferences operates like a co-op where negotiation with TV is done on a collective basis, revenue sharing, etc. There are 5 conferences which are deemed superior to the rest, (The Power 5) and 5 other conferences (The Group of Five) which are deemed ‘mid’ majors or, more brutally, good but not great. There are also a small number of independents (operating outside conference boundaries, usually because they want to maintain autonomy in TV deals etc.) who are eligible, as part of the 128.

Each team plays a regular season schedule of between 10-12 games, and this schedule consists of intra conference games (which are hugely important in terms of deciding the Conference Champion) and external games against other teams from other conferences which can be vital in terms of boosting strength of schedule. Teams in weak conferences will try to schedule games against strong teams to boost their strength of schedule (a big factor in the Playoff Selection Committee deliberations), while teams in strong conferences will try to schedule games that either make a lot of money for them, or are of minimal risk in terms of a loss. Independents, obviously, play all of their games on the basis of strength of schedule and money from TV.

A lot of schools have inter conference games they schedule regularly, for years in advance, because of rivalries built up over the years. Notre Dame figure in quite a few of these, such as games with University of Southern California (USC), Navy, Stanford and the ‘Holy War’ against Boston College (Both colleges are seen as intensely Irish and Catholic).

The Conferences

The 5 major conferences are :

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which is based around the east coast and features teams such as Boston College, Clemson, Miami and Florida State.

The Big 12, which is located in the central/ south central states of the USA. The main teams here are Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor and TCU.

The Big 10 (which actually has 12 members in 2015), is centred around the northern central states, and has notables in Ohio State, Michigan, Penn(sylvania) State and Nebraska (who has recently defected from the Big 12).

The Pacific Athletic Conference (PAC)-12 is located in the south west and west coasts, and features teams from Arizona to Washington, including big hitters such as University of Southern California, UCLA and Oregon.

Finally we have the South Eastern Conference, the SEC, the most powerful conference at the moment. The SEC has provided 7 of the last 10 national champions, although neither of the last 2. Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Louisiana State would be the biggest names here, however competition in the SEC is fierce and other teams like Ole Miss (seen in the movie Blind Side) certainly provide stiff competition. 

The 5 ‘lesser’ Conferences, or the Group of Five, are :

Conference USA, based around the southern states.

Mid American Conference (The MAC), which is based around the Great Lakes area.

Mountain West Conference, based around the Western US.

The Sun Belt Conference, also based around the south.

The American Athletic Conference,  which has schools from all around the south, south east and east

Finally, the 3 independents eligible are Notre Dame, Brigham Young (BYU) and Army.

Post Season and the Bowl Games

The basic aim of every team in the country is to end the season with a winning record (more wins than losses). Finishing with a winning record makes you eligible for a ‘Bowl’ game, which is a postseason game that earns the school money, and is played against a team from a different conference.

Currently there are 41 bowl games, including the National Championship semi finals and final, which ensures that  80 teams out of the 128 get some sort of reward game in the post season. We’ll discuss the Playoff  bowls later on, but let’s take a look at the other bowls for a moment, as this is another element of college football that people find strange.

Firstly, what is a ‘bowl’? Essentially a bowl game is usually a business sponsored game, also focused on the tourism benefits, which rewards both participants financially, and rewards the host city by attracting visitors to the city for several days either side of the game.

As the profile of the games go up, so too do the financial rewards accruing to the schools and indeed to the cities as more and more fans descend to have a good time. There is also a recruiting benefit as bowl games get national TV coverage, and may help young High School athletes decide to go to a particular college if they are often competing in such games.

So, with 41 bowl games, and 80 slots to fill, who decides what teams play where? This is the essence of the bowl system, and if you understand this, you’ll understand all of college football. Again, let’s worry about the non-Playoff bowls first.

The first thing about bowls that you need to understand is that they are tied to conferences in many cases. For example, the Cactus Bowl, played in Phoenix, Arizona, has a contractual arrangement that allows, and obligates, it to invite the 6th place team in the Big 12, and the 7th placed PAC 12 team. The Outback Bowl, in Florida, has its choice of SEC teams left over after other big bowl contracts are fulfilled, and a team in the Big 10.  There are contingencies in place in case some of those contracted positions are ineligible because of not having a winning record, but that very seldom happens.

This contractual arrangement means that in the vast majority of the cases, the teams know themselves which bowl they are going to at the end of the season, although there are instances where the bowl can choose to pick either the 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th team in the SEC, for example, based on how they think it will affect the marketability of the game.

And so to the Playoff bowls, or as they have become known, the 'New Years Six'.  What are they, and why are they different? Basically, the main differences between the Playoff bowls and the rest of the bowls are a)prestige but b) and more importantly in this era, 2 of those 6 games serve as the semi finals for the National Championship. As the name implies, there are 6 playoff bowls, and on a rotating basis 2 are annointed semi finals each year. In 2015/16 the semi finals will be the Cotton Bowl, in Arlington Texas, and the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.  The teams designated as 1 through 4 compete in these semi finals, and the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl Champion will meet in the National Championship Final in Phoeniz Arizona on January 11th 2016.

The following tie-ins exist for bowls in the years they are not hosting the national semi finals, and assuming their tie in teams are not in the semi finals:

Rose Bowl — The oldest bowl of them all, in Pasadena, California. Big Ten #1 vs. Pac-12 #1 
Sugar Bowl — In New Orleans, Louisiana. SEC #1 vs. Big 12 #1 
Orange Bowl — In Miami, Florida.  ACC #1 vs. SEC #2, Big Ten #2, or Notre Dame
Cotton Bowl — In Arlington, Texas.  At-large or "Group of Five" (committee selection)
Fiesta Bowl — In Phoenix, Arizona. At-large or "Group of Five" (committee selection)
Peach Bowl — In Atlanta, Georgia. At-large or "Group of Five" (committee selection)

The Group of Five selection is simply that the highest ranked team from the 'Group of Five' conferences is guaranteed a spot in one of the big 6 bowl games, assuming they are not in the semi final itself. They are placed in a bowl at the committee's discretion. The other At Large teams are basically any team that is ranked highly enough, that the committee feel deserve a spot in the major bowls. 

December and January sees the bowl season take place, with the games spread throughout the Christmas and New Year season. It’s a feast of television for those with the appetite for it, and while a lot of the bowls are of academic (no pun intended) interest to the non-combatants, the games towards the end are often thrilling fixtures, very closely matched, and show all that is best about the college game. Look out for the period just after New Year as the playoff bowls and the National Championship Game get settled then.

So that’s the general gist of it, and if you have a couple of hours on a Saturday evening/night, you should take a look to see what you think, especially if you have any grá for the NFL. The games are on at convenient times because of the spread across the USA, and tend to start about 5pm our time on a Saturday.

I hope this guide has helped more than confused you, but if you’d like any clarifications feel free to drop a comment.

Kerry to end Mayo's dream.

Cast your mind back to Sunday, May 29th of this year. Mayo, coming off a horrendous championship season in 2010, face a nice comfortable debut in the 2011 renewal with a trip to London. A championship game away from home, a bit of shopping for the supporters who made the journey, and a convincing win to start off James Horan's term in charge of the green above the red. Except that's not how it worked out at all. Put to the pin of their collars by a London team that hadn't won a championship game in 34 years and had a permanent place booked in Division 4, Mayo were blessed and relieved to escape from Ruislip with a 3 point win after extra time. At that, they needed two late points to force the additional period. All hell broke loose for a brief period, as panic became the order of the day, and all predictions pointed to a short, painful, summer. In hindsight, maybe the 2 late points were an early hint as to the mental resolve in this team.

Now roll forward to Sunday, July 31st. 63 days later. 9 weeks. And apparently a sports lifetime apart. Mayo rehabilitated, albeit unconvincingly in two of the worst days' weather of the summer, in Connacht facing the All Ireland Champions and red hot favourites Cork. What transpired that day has already made James Horan's first year a resounding success in most Mayo fans' eyes, barring capitulation tomorrow. The hunger, pride, intensity and quality displayed by Mayo that day simply blew Cork away, and suddenly Ireland is sitting up and taking notice. The wind is back in the Mayo fans' sails, and they are contenders again. Offer that scenario to  any Mayo fan glumly surveying the wreckage of Pearse Park last summer, or even contemplating their bitten fingernails in Ruislip in May, and they'd have said that was too wildly optimistic even for a Mayo fan. As an outsider, Mayo are a great county of fans to watch. They care so deeply about their football, as many fans do, but they swing wildly from boundless optimism to crushing pessimism like a weather vane when the wind changes. In fairness to them, it's easy to see why that would be the case as days like Longford and London often sit in very close proximity to days like Dublin, Tyrone and now Cork. How in the name of God can the fans decide which mood to be in when you never know what Mayo will produce on the pitch the next day?

And so we cast our eye towards tomorrow. What Mayo side will turn up? And what Kerry side will turn up? Will Mayo be able to repeat the intensity and quality they showed against Cork? I have no doubt they will repeat the intensity, but will the quality be there? Will Kerry be as obliging as Cork in their lack of ideas and in allowing Mayo to dominate possession? Will Kerry be undercooked following an extremely disappointing and lack lustre performance by Limerick in the quarter final? What is the real Kerry? Is it the team that blew away Cork in the first half, or is it the team that barely hung on in the same game as they spent themselves in that blitz? Questions, questions, questions. So how about a few possible answers?

The fact of the matter is, if one was to draw a form line through Cork, it would be easy to make a case for Mayo to win this tomorrow. The manner of Mayo's demolition of the champions was less impressive than Kerry's tour de force in the first half in Killarney but it was a much more sustained and dominant display for the vast majority of the game. Kerry could easily have been caught that day, after a bit of a collapse in the second half, but for a late shot hitting the post rather than the twines, whereas Mayo looked nailed on winners from a long way out in the quarter final.

That would be too simplistic however, I believe. Notwithstanding Mayo's preeminence in the physical and ball winning exchanges, Cork did manage to win a bit of ball, and you would have to think that the absence of Ciaran Sheehan, Colm O'Neill and Daniel Goulding was a major factor in Mayo being able to render their attack toothless. Cork may have survived on scraps with a full complement of forwards, but when Mayo were able to shut down Donnacha O'Connor, Paddy Kelly and Paul Kerrigan, that was job done at the back. Against Kerry, shutting down Declan O'Sullivan, Colm Cooper and Kieran Donaghy (which will be harder to do in any case) does not mean you have blunted Kerry as Kieran O'Leary, Darren O'Sullivan, Bryan Sheehan and even the likes of Tomás O'Sé, Killian Young and Eoin Brosnan have proven pedigree in the scoring stakes.

For that reason, more than ever and even more than against Cork, this game will be won and lost in the middle of the field and the half lines. If Kerry, through the surprising Bryan Sheehan and Anthony Maher, can gain a foothold here, supported by the likes of Donnacha Walsh, Tomás O'Sé, Declan O'Sullivan and Aidan O'Mahoney, then their forwards will have enough gas, in my opinion, to post a winning score.

If, however, the likes of Trevor Mortimor, Andy Moran and the O'Shea brothers can get a real stranglehold around here, there is no reason why Mayo cannot win. The Kerry backs are underestimated in my opinion, and while we saw Dublin tear Tyrone asunder, it's a big ask to expect Mayo to do the same just because there are a few 30 somethings in the Kingdom rearguard. However, if Mayo can play the game downhill, i.e. everything running towards the Kerry goal, then I would expect them to have enough gumption to post a winning margin.

I don't think this will be a blowout, like 2004 and 2006, because Mayo have demonstrated enough physical and mental strength this year to suggest they are stronger in both departments, but I just think it's an awful lot to ask a team at this level to win 70-30 around the middle, and I think that's what Mayo need. Kerry have Paul Galvin and Seamus Scanlon to introduce if that looks like happening, and I can't see it coming to pass. If Kerry can swing the pendulum towards 40-60 or even 50-50, then I cannot see the Mayo backs being able to shut them down like Cork. If the game pans out that way, I expect Kieran Donaghy to be a big influence in at full forward, along with Declan O'Sullivan, and Colm Cooper is due a high scoring game, as he has been quiet enough in that department, even if Kerry folk will tell you he is playing well in his overall contribution. If Donaghy is forced to come out the field, it will be an indication that Mayo are on the right track, because while Declan O'Sullivan can play well at #14, Kerry's balance is a lot better with him directing traffic at #11. Trevor Mortimer has a big job on tomorrow against O'Sullivan, if they line out that way, and his reported injury worries will not help in that area. O'Sullivan is not a lad to face at less than 100%.

The two biggest question marks for me with Kerry are a) are they at the level of intensity they need to be for a semi final? and b) is their midfield really as decent as it has looked?

For Mayo, the questions are a) Can they better the Cork performance in the middle third, b) if they do can their forwards score enough and c) if they don't, will their backs hold out.

I think the questions facing Mayo are harder to answer, and while I don't expect Kerry to blitz them, barring a couple of early goals, I can still see Kerry having enough ball, and the nous to use it well, to see them home by 5-7 points. I think it will be closer than that on the field, but I suspect Kerry may score the goals that will give them breathing space. If it's level or better for Mayo with 15 minutes to go, I reserve the right to change my mind because I think Mayo will win if that's the case, but I just can't see it.

Verdict. Kerry by 5

Tipperary to prevail over depleted Dubs

And so we come to the penultimate tie of the 2011 All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The fact that the Dubs find themselves in championship hurling action on the 2nd Sunday of August is testament to the progress they have made, and can point to, in 2011. The likelihood of them continuing to be involved as the calendar rolls over to September, however, seems unlikely.

Dublin's cause is not helped by their long injury list, many of them long term, as they fell prey to the dreaded cruciate many times this year. How they would love to have the likes of Stephen Hiney, Tomás Brady, Conal Keaney, David Treacy and Oisin Gough in harness as they bid to dethrone the champions.

Of course the primary obstacle in Dublin's path is Tipperary themselves. A team that has been maturing steadily over the past 3-4 years and can now claim to be the best in the game having displaced possibly the greatest team of all time, Kilkenny's great 4 in a row side, last year. In fairness Tipperary do not seem to have rested on their laurels, as was predicted by several sage observers, and have, if anything, developed an even more ruthless streak than last year. This was never so pronounced as in the Munster Final 7 goal demolition of a Waterford side that subsequently beat Galway and hung around with Kilkenny in the first semi final.

It's hard to see how Dublin can win this game without their injured stars but, in truth, it would be hard to see them winning the game even with them. However nothing is impossible in sport, and so let's look at how the Dubs might turn the bookies odds on their heads.

Firstly, Dublin's strength when playing well is two fold. It's a combination of physical strength and fitness in winning the ball, and then intelligence and purpose when using it. If either of these malfunction, then Dublin become very average indeed, and against Limerick, and Kilkenny in particular, they were let down by the subtleties in the game. Their passing, vision and decision making were poor in those games and it led to sub par performances, albeit a very important win against Limerick.

I do expect Dublin to be better in those departments this weekend as the load is definitely off them. As we faced into this championship season, there was a real sense of expectation around Dublin for the first time in many years. Winning the league onlyto lose to Galway in Leinster, or indeed to Limerick in the quarter final would have been a real setback for them despite the injury excuse. In fact, I believe their let down in the Leinster Final probably had it's roots in their own sense that they may actually be in a position to beat the Cats. They seemed inhibited and tight early on, and as Kilkenny stretched their legs that was always going to be a seriously bad starting point from which to launch an assault on the Bob O'Keefe cup.

The fact that they were able to do just enough to win against Limerick has put their season back into the black though, and they will treat this game as a real opportunity to cause a shock, and the very definition of nothing to lose. Anthony Daly has said on at least one occasion this year that Dublin hadn't hurled 'with abandon', so I expect to at least see that here.

If they do, then it will come down to individual performances and how they handle the ferocious Tipp forwards. I suspect the best way of limiting the damage they can inflict is with a sweeper either just in front or just behind the full back line, to try and stop the goal scoring threat of forwards like Seamie Callinan or Lar Corbett coming from deep. Tipperary like to deliver the ball in to a full forward line coming out the field, for deep running forwards to burst in for one on ones. Usually the result is a green flag and 3 points for the premier.

The other way to limit them, of course, is to stop ball coming in to them. And the best way to do that is to win it yourself, and not give it away when you do. For Dublin to do that, lads like Joey Boland, Alan McCrabbe, Liam Rushe and Ryan O'Dwyer will be vital. It is interesting that Ryan O'Dwyer has nominally been picked at centre forward, despite his goal scoring heroics last day out, and Liam Rush has been named at wing forward. This may be all mind games, but it may be because Anthony Daly realises that he needs to attack the Tipp half back line, and stop them launching the attacks that can prove so lethal. Conor O'Mahoney at centre back is having a solid, but unspectacular, year and Ryan O'Dwyer, if stationed there, might give his fellow Tipp man a lot of trouble.

Finally, if Dublin do manage to stymie the Tipperary attack, and manage to win enough ball out the field, then they must use it well. Paul Ryan has been in great form from frees, but if Tipperary are disciplined then the Dubs will have to score from play, and they will have to score goals. Clever use of the ball, a lá the league final against Kilkenny, will give point scoring opportunities which must be taken, but you suspect Dotsy O'Callaghan, or someone else, will have to rattle the net at least 3 times for Dublin to take the champions down.

Tipperary, from their point of view, must look at this match as a game that is there to be won. If they start considering Dublin's injuries, or begin looking forward to the Cats, then they could quite easily come a cropper. I'm sure Declan Ryan will be on guard for that though, and Tipp are experienced enough at this stage to make sure they are prepared, but complacency can set it, with the best will in the world. With that in mind Tipperary will be anxious to make a quick start. Don't be surprised if Tipperary try to engineer a goal or two in the opening 10-15 minutes to try and take the wind out of Dublin. A slow start can be hard to overcome if you are mentally 'off' at all, so I expect Tipp to come out firing to try and mitigate the risk of that happening.

Tipperary have matchwinners all over the field, from the platform of O'Keefe, O'Mahoney and particularly Padraic Maher (who may find Liam Rushe a close neighbour on Sunday) through the effervescent Shane McGrath in midfield and onto the lethal forward line powered by the industry of Patrick Maher and John O'Brien and the artistry of Noel McGrath, Seamus Callinan, Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly. It's a frightening array of names written down, but the games are played on the field.

I expect Dublin to have a right lash, and anything bar a complete mauling will allow their season to be considered a success overall, but I've backed Tipperary at -8 in the handicap, and I think that might be around the mark.

Verdict. Tipperary by 9.

End of a Great Team - A Tyrone Tribute.

I don't normally post like this, but I felt I wanted to this morning. As I watched the events in Croke Park unfold before my eyes yesterday evening, it became apparent that we were probably seeing the end of one of the great teams of recent times. As Dublin powered for home and brushed aside the despairing challenge of Tyrone, I was transfixed by the sight of players who had graced the fields of Ireland for a decade unable to match this new power on the block, and the symbolism of Conor Gormley, a warrior among warriors, flailing and fouling helplessly was a stark metaphor for what we were seeing.

When the game ended I, as a neutral, felt sad for the vanquished, and happy for Dublin,  but I also started to consider what this Tyrone team meant, not as a fan, but as an observer. And as an observer who's own team seldom came into the same sphere as Tyrone in the past decade, and certainly never in the championship.

Pat Spillane coined the phrase 'puke football' after one of the early Kerry defeats to Tyrone (a 0-13 to 0-6 victory in the 2003 semi final) and this was epitomised by the seminal photograph of 1 Kerry man on the ground surrounded by no less than 8 Tyrone players. There is no doubt that Kerry - the great team of the last decade - were definitely scuppered by Tyrone on more than one occasion and while the Kingdom would fear no team, they certainly respected and were flummoxed more than once by Mickey Harte and his men.

But 'puke football' was always sensationalism by Pat, and I doubt if a 'puke' football team could have given us players like Conor Gormley, Peter Canavan, Philly Jordan, Owen Mulligan, Stephen O'Neill, Sean Cavanagh, Cormac McAnallen (all too briefly) and many others.

Their story was dramatic, with liberal dashings of unbelievable tragedy thrown in for good measure. We watched from afar the sheer awfulness of the losses of Paul McGirr, Cormac McAnallen and of course the most recent bombshell with the death of Mickey's daughter Michaela. Most teams would have crumbled with the pain of any one of those events, but this team, led by their inspirational manager, were able to become a living tribute to their missing friends and to mark their memories by their deeds on the field. Someone remarked that Tyrone were carried off on their shields last night, a reference to the famous Spartan battle cry, and I'm sure Paul, Cormac and Michaela were looking down with pride as the old soldiers spilled their sweat yet again in a huge effort. What about it if they lost? We all lose eventually, and there is no shame losing to a better team. When great teams lose they usually lose badly. All you can do is make sure you go down swinging, and the way they kept going to the end was as expected as it was fitting.

My personal memories of Tyrone begin with a visit to Croke Park with my brother back in 2002 to see them lose to Sligo before Mickey Harte arrived on the scene. I remember very little from the game other than Tyrone struggled to compete out the field, and that their inside forward line of Brian McGuigan, Stephen O'Neill and Peter Canavan were absolutely blinding in their movement and pace. They ran aground due to lack of ball, but I remember coming away that day raving about their movement, and I haven't stopped since. It remains the template for me in terms of how inside forwards should operate.

From then, we were spoiled. Of course their football had it's critics, but moments like Conor Gormley's block in the 2003 final, Peter Canavan's exquisite finish in the 2005 All Ireland Final, the raw emotion as Cormac McAnallen's name was invoked in the presentation afterwards, the swarm of White and Red down on the field as I looked down from the Hogan Stand, the resiliance in 2008 to again beat a great Kerry side in the final, Kevin Hughes' performance that day, Sean Cavanagh's driving runs and great goals, Ryan McMenamin being a nuisance to everyone, Owen Mulligan's goal of the decade against Dublin, Stephen O'Neill's arcing, graceful point scoring, Brian McGuigan's playmaking and skill and what probably defined this Tyrone team more than anyone, Brian Dooher's mix of skill and sheer lung busting work which redefined the position of wing half forward. Another aspect of this team which lives in my mind is the grace and humility which characterised Mickey Harte in all of his public, and not so public, appearances. A great man who led a great team.

Kerry, Armagh and Tyrone were undoubtedly the 3 super powers of the last decade, and Kerry and Tyrone were numbers 1 and 2 in my mind. Armagh have drifted away in the past couple of years, and it looks like Tyrone may be heading for a period of rebuilding, although it's a good bet that their foundations are solid and the time may be short before we see them back in Croke Park on All Ireland day. No matter how that turns out, there is no doubt, in my opinion anyway, that this Tyrone team has been one of the most influential teams of all time in terms of their impact on the game, this team has given us some of the best moments and players ever to grace Croke Park, and that this team deserves its place in the annals of our games history.

Of course you can never write anybody off, especially a team like this, but it was hard to escape the feeling that we were watching the end of an era last night. If I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll be embarrassed reading this in the future but, if we were, then thanks Mickey Harte, and thanks to all your players. You've given us talking points, memories, great games and you've given a generation of Tyrone kids a whole host of heroes to emulate.

Comhghairdeas agus go raibh maith agaibh.

Hurling takes centre stage, but unfinished Football business.

You know you are heading towards the end of the summer, such as it was, and even towards back to school for the kids when you start to have only one or two games per weekend. The August Bank Holiday is the last real blast of games, and that went very well as a neutral, as well as for the winning teams.

This weekend would normally just see the hurling semi final on Sunday but, due to some delays along the way, Tyrone are also on duty against Dublin in the last of the quarter finals on Saturday evening.

All Ireland Senior Football Quarter Final

Saturday August 6th.

Tyrone v Dublin.  7pm. Croke Park (Ref. Joe McQuillan)

The last in what has been a very good quarter final line up so far (Kerry v Limerick notwithstanding) sees the last of the Provincial Champions enter the fray. Dublin will be encouraged by the fact that Kerry, Mayo and Donegal have all managed to give lie to the theory that winning your province is actually a short cut to defeat in the All Ireland series. That said, Dublin will be upset that they have had even longer to wait before taking the field, and they have got to be a little bit rusty at this stage.

They were singularly unimpressive against Wexford in the Leinster Final, and the fact that all 3 of the full forward line were replaced during that game, albeit with injury in O'Gara's case, shows how Wexford managed to shut down the Dublin attack.

In this game, they face an even stiffer foe. While questions were correctly asked about the age of Mickey Harte's team earlier in the year, he has managed to blend in the likes of Swift, Donnelly, Cassidy, Peter Harte and Kyle Coney. This will be vital for Tyrone's future but also has revitalised this season too. If we are to believe the named team sheet (which is a perilous occupation these days) it appears that Mickey has continued to rejig his options with Ryan McMenamin finding himself off the first 26. Given the fact that Martin Swift is carrying a broken nose picked up against Roscommon, don't be surprised if Ricey finds himself manning his familiar berth this evening. Owen Mulligan has also been handed a nominal start at the expense of Kyle Coney, who must feel very disappointed, and Martin Penrose returns in place of Tommy McGuigan, who has struggled to find his feet in the inside line. As I mentioned though, this is all on paper as of now, and we won't be sure until we see the throw in.

Dublin themselves can be liberal with the truth when naming teams, but for what it's worth they have included Eoghan O'Gara in an unchanged forward line, despite the wrist injury he picked up in the Leinster Final. Gilroy has also named injury plagued Cian O'Sullivan at corner back in place of the very unfortunate Paul Conlon, while midfield is down as Denis Bastick and Eamon Fennell. Whether or not this is the team that actually takes the field is moot, but on the premise that it is, Dublin will have to figure out the best way to use that forward line. Diarmuid Connolly is potentially a match winner himself, but his confidence must be rocked by being replaced so often this year, while Bernard Brogan is at his best when operating in space, especially with brother Alan acting as provider and play maker. Which brings us to O'Gara. A good ball winner, and certainly a disruptive influence, it just seems to me that were Dublin to play to his strengths it is an entirely different approach. i.e. the long delivery to a target man. It seems to be a chalk and cheese approach at the moment, and that is not getting the best out of Dublin. Don't be surprised if Kevin McMenamin makes an appearance if O'Gara is injured or if the balance is not there, and I think that might be better for Dublin. O'Gara would remain a decent plan 'B' though.

And so the prediction. I've been struggling with this one all week, and I do think that Dublin are a more substantial team than they have been recently. They are a serious outfit, with solid defence, and the potential for a good attack, but I am really worried about Dublin's preparedness given their layoff, although ther lack of hype this year can only be advantageous. They were poor against Wexford for long stretches, which has helped to keep expectations in check. They were also victorious against Tyrone last year as their defensive solidity paid dividends. Last year though, it was Dublin coming in with games while Tyrone were on their layoff.

Tyrone still don't look like the Tyrone of old, and it took Dooher and Mulligan coming on to really put them at ease against Roscommon. Their forward movement was poor, Peter Harte was kept quiet, and it really took Sean Cavanagh to lay down the marker for his team. If Cavanagh can be kept in check, Tyrone will be in a bit of bother. Donnelly's habit of moving out the field might worry Dublin, but I still think Coney might find himself in at some stage, if not from the start. Penrose, Harte, Mulligan (as Dublin know too well) and Coney can all score, so Ger Brennan will have to shut down Brian McGuigan as playmaker.  On the other side, Tyrone have (with or without Ricey) the players to hold Dublin's forwards in my opinion. I think this game could well be very close, and while I would love to see Dublin advance, I think Tyrone's blend of youth and experience, with their lessons from last year applied, may be too much for a Dublin team that may struggle to start well. Do not be surprised if this becomes the second quarter final to go to extra time, but I'm going to say Tyrone to break up the Provincial winners' semi final party.

Verdict. Tyrone by 2

All Ireland Senior Hurling Semi Final

Sunday August 7th.

Kilkenny v Waterford. 3.30 pm. Croke Park (Ref. Barry Kelly)

Waterford proved they are made of the right stuff in their quarter final against Galway as they blew the tribesmen away in the second half with a mixture of determination, physical strength and skill. It was the perfect response to their disastrous outing in the Munster Final, but they were certainly aided and abetted by an extremely insipid Galway performance. Simply put, Galway didn't want to know when Waterford put the boot to the floor.

Davy Fitzgerald learned, or simply didn't fear Galway enough, from the Munster Final and played his best players in their optimal positions in the quarter final, especially in defence. This made their defence an awful lot more solid, and while Brick Walsh looked back to his imperious best, lads like Liam Lawlor, Noel Connors and Darragh Fives looked a lot more solid as a result. Tony Browne and Kevin Moran, who alternated between midfield and half back, rounded out an impressive defence.

Up front Shane Walsh was very impressive at full forward, while John Mullane used a stint out at centre forward to play himself into the game and looked much more like himself as the game progressed. Seamus Prendergast won a lot of ball around the half forward line as well, and all in all it was a much more accomplished performance.

Waterford will have to lift it again though, because in Kilkenny on Sunday they will be facing a side a lot closer to Tipperary's level than Galway approached in Thurles. Kilkenny will not shy away from the intense heat of championship hurling, so you better be prepared to match their hurling as well. That's where it gets tricky.

There is a sense that Kilkenny are not operating at the level they were 3 years ago, and that's probably true as no team could operate at that level indefinitely. Tipperary are probably up in that stratosphere at the moment, and the best in the game, but Kilkenny are still a fearsome force for most teams. It's hard to imagine a repeat of that 2008 final demolition, but it's still difficult to see a Waterford victory here.

Henry Shefflin's return to form and fitness is a huge win for Kilkenny. He was immense against Dublin in the Leinster Final, when Kilkenny stamped their impression on this championship, and is the natural leader of this attack. Richie Power, Eoin Larkin and TJ Reid are also powerful operators while Colin Fennelly looks to be inheriting Eddie Brennan's mantle as the 'head down straight for goal' merchant. Kilkenny's half back line, with the return of Tommy Walsh, is one of the most solid in the game, if not the most solid. JJ Delaney is a class act, and Brian Hogan is the latest in a line of imperious centre backs that appear to the manor born.

I cannot see the Waterford half forward line winning as much as they did against Galway, and while I cannot see Waterford imploding so spectacularly again, I don't think they'll be able to withstand the pressure that would then be brought to bear. Waterford will need goals to win this game, because I think Kilkenny will probably score a couple at least, and I don't think they'll get them. Waterford would be a brilliant story were they to somehow overcome Kilkenny, but it's impossible to build a convincing case for it happening. Kilkenny would have to be seriously off kilter, and Waterford even better than against Galway.

I could possibly see one of those happening, but not both together, so I'll go with the Cats to book their place in the showpiece on the first Sunday of September.

Verdict. Kilkenny by 6.

Rock on Rockall, and the West's Awake

Well that was quite a weekend of football entertainment in Croke Park, and it has given us three of our four semi finalists, with Tyrone also filling the last quarter final spot.

I went to Croke Park on Saturday, largely to witness the Donegal - Kildare game, and it was a great day's entertainment for €30. First off we had the minor joust between Armagh and Roscommon, which went to extra time before a very brave and stoic Roscommon side edged home in a game they should probably have lost. Roscommon people told me that that was not a display of their normal high standards, so it's a great sign that they could battle through and come out the other side. Dublin are probably favourites for the minor, with Galway, Roscommon and Tipp a bit behind them in the betting, but you can never tell at Minor Level, and Roscommon showed enough gumption on Saturday to be hopeful in the semi final at least.

The weekend's senior action got under way just after 4pm as the men of Tyrone and the Roscommon Seniors faced off in a round 4 qualifer, delayed because Armagh's problems with Wicklow led to Tyrone taking an extra week to arrive at this stage. Roscommon started the brighter, and with Karl Mannion, Senan Kilbride, Cathal Cregg and especially Donie Shine causing havoc, they looked the better side for most of the first half. However the first real body blow came just after Roscommon had scored their goal to go ahead by 4 points, as Tyrone hit back with a statement of intent. A typical Sean Cavanagh run through the heart of the Rossies defence ended up with the ball in the back of the net, and the wind slightly taken out of Roscommon's sails. From there until half time, though, Roscommon refused to wilt and Tyrone will count themselves lucky (and surprised) to have been leading at half time. Roscommons direct style of football (which they abandoned in the second half of the Connacht Final) had Tyrone in all sorts of problems at the back, and Joe McMahon and Conor Gormley did not look comfortable at all. You always got the sense that Tyrone may just have had a little bit extra, and when the old hands of Dooher and Mulligan arrived on the scene at half time, that seemed to settle them down. Dooher picked up an amount of ball, and Mulligan also looked dangerous although Kyle Coney will be rightfully disappointed to be taken off. From there on, Tyrone looked in control, although Roscommon refused to go away and were unlucky to be hit by 2 latish goals to put an unfair complexion on the scoreboard. However, you do have to go to the end against teams like Tyrone, and that's a lesson that Roscommon will have to learn. They produced a similar display against Cork in the quarter final last year, and proved that in terms of football ability they can compete, but the effort required seems to come back to haunt them in the last 15-20 minutes.

I have to say Tyrone were 'professional', if I can use that word, without being spectacular. I remember being at a game between Sligo and Tyrone in Croke Park a good few years ago (I believe Sligo won it) and the movement of the Tyrone FF line that day was incredible. On Saturday it was a lot more static and predictable, even with Donnelly moving out the field a fair bit, and I think they will have to be a lot more inventive against Dublin. Sean Cavanagh is still a great weapon to have, but a running midfielder might be able to stifle him, and unless Tyrone pick up the scores elsewhere they may struggle. Peter Harte is having a great year, but did not really show that on Saturday so he is another threat they have.

The final game of the day on Saturday was the first All Ireland Senior Football Quarter Final, and pitted the Ulster Champions, Donegal, against the team that have graced the qualifiers this past two years, Kildare. This was at various times dour, dogged, disappointing, exciting, exhilarating, fascinating, tense, unbelievable and exhausting, even as a spectator. In short it was a great championship clash that resembled a heavyweight boxing bout.

The game ebbed and flowed as Kildare initially dominated possession, but failed to really penetrate the Donegal defence, while Kildare themselves left enough defenders in situ to nullify and frustrate Donegal's counter attacks which were rendered more toothless by the starting absence of Michael Murphy, who came on for the unlucky McBrearty towards the end of the first half. It was fascinating to watch the sheer workrate of both teams as the play went up and down the field. It's certainly a different type of game, and maybe not as aesthetically pleasing as the more open styles employed by the likes of Kerry, but it is no less intriguing and impressive from a sheer intensity standpoint.

At half time, it was 5-3 to Kildare, and there was a sense that Donegal may have been getting settled in. A real turning point arrived after half time when a long attempt at a shot came back off the Donegal upright and into the path of the incoming Tomás O'Connor who stuck it in the net. This was the score Kildare needed to give them breathing room, and to finally force Donegal out into the open. However the umpire, who looked very uncertain before waving the green flag, was only too willing to chalk the score off for a square ball when the referee came into him. From my vantage point, it looked like O'Connor was alright, especially when you factor in the time for the ball to come back off the post, but the umpire was obviously doubtful, and the score was removed from the ledger.

At this point I felt McGeeney made a substitution which was a mistake. He replaced Tomás O'Connor with Alan Smyth. Now O'Connor was not going that terribly well, but he wasn't poor either, and by removing him and replacing him with Smyth, Donegal immediately could forget about the high ball threat. Even by O'Connor being there, McGee and co had to be aware of that option, and his removal allowed them to revert to their normal style of pressing the ball even more.

The next turning point was the Donegal goal, an inspired substitution from Jimmy McGuinness, as Christy Toye drifted in to replace Colm McFadden and finished very well to the net. It looked almost as if Kildare hadn't clocked Toye, and he was in oceans of space when he received the pass about 13 metres out, space that was certainly at a premium up to then.

At this point Kildare looked dead and buried, but to their credit they fought back again, and a frenetic finish ended with a scored free to force extra time. McGeeney had brought on Ronan Sweeney at this stage, and he started to provide that long option again, and he is the man I'd have replaced O'Connor with.

Such was the intensity of that second 35, it was hard to believe that extra time could match it. However it did, and it surpassed it. Kildare, inspired by their finish, raced into a 3 point lead in the first half before the excellent Karl Lacey kicked an important score to turn over only 2 points down. Alan Smyth increased it to 3, and it looked like Kildare were kicking for home. It was then that Kildare hit the wall. Undoubtedly feeling the effects of 4 weeks on the trot, capped off with this ferocious battle, they simply died on their feet. In desperation they resorted to tactical fouling, but Michael Murphy punished them from long range frees, and Donegal slowly, inexorably clawed Kildare back. The sense of desperation was palpable, and when Alan Smyth failed to hold a ball in the Kildare forward line, Donegal moved it up the field to hit an equaliser. The outcome seemed inevitable then, and sure enough the last attack of the game ended with Cassidy hitting another monster point with the last kick of the game to win it for the Ulster Champions.

Donegal will be a hard team to beat on this showing, and McGee and Lacey were simply outstanding for them. On a day when defences were on top, Kildare's best performers were Morgan O'Flaherty, who hoovered up an amount of ball, and the consistently excellent Hughie McGrillen and Mick Foley. Kildare didn't deserve to lose, and your heart would have to go out to John Doyle who never really got going after suffering a dead leg from the throw in. His scoring run of 52 games on the trot ended on the day Kildare lost by a point in extra time. That must be heartbreaking for him, but his post match comments are another indication of his class. I say Kildare didn't deserve to lose, but Donegal are worthy winners and will be a big test for Tyrone or Dublin in a semi final. Rock on indeed.

Sunday dawned, and with it the expectation of two straightforward assignments for Munster's big guns as Kerry were due to reprise their flogging of Limerick, while Cork were hot favourites to see off a Mayo side that had failed to impress in winning the Connacht Championship.

Suffice to say that one game went the way it was expected to, while the other certainly did not. Kerry never had to get out of third gear to dispose of a Limerick side that, unfortunately, didn't display the same fire that was shown by the likes of Donegal, Kildare and Mayo. They seemed content to not get hammered, and while they briefly staged a mini-revival in the second half, all Kerry had to do was accelerate a little and Limerick were in their rear view mirror again. Limerick have rebounded brilliantly since the debacle in Munster, but this felt like an anti climax, and unworthy after their showings against Offaly and Wexford in particular. The Kerry forwards weren't quite as unattended as they were in the Gaelic Grounds, but anytime they raised a gallop, their movement flummoxed the Limerick back line again. Stephen Lucey was unlucky to go off injured early on, having been earmarked to keep tabs on Donaghy, but it wasn't Star that did the damage in any event. Darren O'Sullivan gave a fantastic 1-3 cameo, including a brilliant Zola style back flick goal, before going off as a precaution with a hamstring tweak while Declan O'Sullivan showed his class with two lovely points before going on sabbatical for the rest of the game. Galvin got a good run out, as did Tomás O'Sé and Bryan Sheehan and Anthony Maher gave another solid display in midfield. The sight of Sheehan, in particular, galloping forward with time nearly up will be welcome to Kerry fans, as it proves both his appetite for work and his conditioning, both of which seem in great shape this year.

All in all, despite Stephen Kelly's good work from open play, (less said about his frees the better) and a few flashes from Ian Ryan, Johhny McCarthy, Ger Collins and especially Seanie Buckley, it was poor enough from Limerick, and as I said, a bit anti climactic. Hopefully they will have better luck with injuries next year, and can get lads like John Galvin and Eoin Joy back because they need to get promotion from Division 4 if they are to make a run at Munster next year.

Kerry will be unsatisfied with this. They know they didn't raise much of a gallop, and they know that they will need to improve for a semi final. This game is the only game they will have had in 7 weeks before the semi, and that is not enough to be fully prepared, so they will have to really be firing and at huge levels of intensity in training. One of the pundits said Kerry A v Kerry B would be more intense and high octane, and it may need to be if Kerry are going to be right for the semi final.

The last game of the weekend saw a fantastic performance of guts, belief, fitness and football. And it wasn't from the All Ireland Champions. I said in my preview that if *and a big if* Mayo could take Donnacha O'Connor out of the game, and run with Kerrigan and Kelly they would have a chance. If they could then break even at midfield that was their path to victory. It was very hard to see, and I couldn't see it coming to pass, hence I tipped Cork. But come to pass it did, and how. After a flurry at the start when Mayo might have been blown away, they knuckled down and absolutely ate, and I mean ate, Cork at midfield. The work that the O'Shea brothers, Trevor Mortimor, Andy Moran and Alan Dillon (among others) did in the middle third simply annihalated Cork in the very area they would have been banking on. It was a joy to watch, as a neutral, as Mayo put their bodies on the line for breaks as well as caught wonderful primary possession, and Cork were unable to live with it, despite the physical advantages they have around that area.

With that stranglehold, Cork were always going to be living on scraps, and with their long injury list of top class forwards, Mayo managed to nullify O'Connor, Kelly and Kerrigan to a large extent. With that achieved, the rest of the Cork forwards were never going to score enough on that little amount of good ball coming in.

Kevin McLoughlin's goal was probably the moment when Mayo went from working hard to really believing, and when the game moved through the second half, this observer went from admiration of their effort and performance to a dawning realisation that Cork were not going to be able to counter this and finally onto the moment when you knew Mayo had it won, which was when they went 3 points up.

Fantastic for Mayo, Fantastic for Connacht and Fantastic for the neutral. The nagging question that Mayo now have to answer as emphatically as they did last Sunday - Is it also Fantastic for Kerry?

Hits

Donegal And Kildare (and their fans). It may not have been free flowing, but it was epic. Every man who played on Saturday left everything on the field. It was a privilege to watch it in person, and it was fantastic to see the Kildare fans applauding Donegal at the end, and vice versa as the Donegal fans gave Kildare a very warm ovation as they left, in bits. Also should mention the Roscommon fans who gave the same tribute to the defeated Armagh minors after the opening game. That's what it's all about, and one of the reasons I love the GAA.

Darren O'Sullivan. Darren O'Sullivan has been quietly labouring away in the shadows of this Kerry forward line over the past few years, even as captain, as lads like Paul Galvin, Declan O'Sullivan, Colm Cooper and Kieran Donaghy attract the spotlight, which is very understandable. This season Darren is playing with huge confidence, and people are starting to notice. His goal against Cork was a classic speed merchant's finish, while his flick against Limerick was the sign of a man playing with utmost confidence. He was the best player on the field on Sunday until he went off, and Kerry will need him to be at full throttle as he fills that role of X Factor for them.

Mayo. One swallow does not a summer make, and in this weather we should all agree with that, but Mayo's performance on Sunday was the perfect riposte to those that have been sniggering at Connacht Football recently. I've mentioned the terrible weather that two of Mayo's games have been played in, and I also said I wanted to see them in the open spaces of Croke Park on a dry day. I didn't expect to see what I saw on Sunday though, so fair play to them.

Misses.

Nothing, this weekend was too good for negativity. I'm sure Kildare will be aggrieved about the square ball decision against Donegal, but they are one of the counties that voted against the square ball rule that was trialled two years ago, and they themselves have been the model of good losers since Saturday, so lets not dwell on that incident. I do think that experimental rule should come back in though.

Other Sports

Well, as expected the NFL has been a hive of activity since the lockout ended, with free agents going from pillar to post and back again as they sign up with new teams or renew with their old ones. Some of the biggest moves have been the Arizona Cardinals finally getting their quarterback in Kevin Kolb from the Eagles, even if the price was high, and the Patriots signing Albert Haynesworth and Chad Occocinco/Johnson. The biggest movers and shakers, though, have been the Eagles. They got Dominique Rogers Cromartie from Arizona for Kolb, while they also picked up top free Agent Nnamdi Asomugha, instantly adding two All Star cornerbacks to the one they already had Asanthe Samuel. Philly will be hard to pass against with that lot. They've also added Vince Young as backup to Michael Vick, and Ronnie Brown as running back from Miami. Given that they already have DeSean Jackson and LeShaun McCoy,and Vick, the new soubriquet 'Dream Team' is well deserved. Will the Chemistry work though? One thing is sure, all these moves will propel the Eagles towards the top of the betting for the Superbowl.

Before the seaons starts (September 8th) I'll give a primer for the new year, including Division by Division, how the playoffs work, and who to look out for.