On taking on the role of Meath senior football manager, Colm O’Rourke opined that the true test of a Meath player or managers’ character and success or failure was how they fared against Dublin. If the retired school Principal really believes that truly is the barometer by which things should be judged, then the verdict must be that he came up every bit as short as Sean Boylan in his later years and Colm Coyle and Seamus McEnaney and Mick O’Dowd and Andy McEntee in that regard.
In fact, with the exception of the three incarnations of Sean’s Meath teams – spanning 1986 to 1991 and 1996 – the only ones to have any success at toppling the Dubs in the last half century or so were the O’Brien brothers, Mick in 1975 and Eamonn in 2010. Both of which were bolts into the blue at the respective times.
Now, not for a moment is one suggesting that there could be something as seismic as the occurrences recalled above likely to transpire on Sunday but there’s no point denying what’s in the gut either. Namely, that there is a definitely a different feel to matters surrounding the latest standoff between the GAA’s greatest rivals.
For fear of the following words coming back to take a chunk out of my rear end, Meath certainly have the look of a team going the right way – in transition – as the buzz term for articulating that reality seems to be now, and for the first time in a very, very long time, the same can at least partially be applied to Dublin. I don’t care who you are, no team can ship the loss of players of the calibre of Mick Fitzsimons, James McCarthy, Jack McCaffrey, Brian Fenton and Paul Mannion and not be in some way impacted by what represents a fairly rudimentary realignment.
In contrast, Meath have not only consolidated with keeping Donal Keogan in tow but augmented the experienced aces in their pack with the returns of Seamus Lavin, Jack Flynn and Bryan Menton. Of even greater importance, though, has been the infusion and/or further development of the likes of Sean Rafferty, Brian O’Halloran, Ciaran Caulfield, Sean Coffey, Conor Duke and Ruairi Kinsella.
That’s without mentioning the two other individuals within the Meath ensemble who absolutely merit the label of ‘Top Class’ – Mat Costello and Eoghan Frayne.
The one thing Meath supporters will always seek of their teams is honesty of effort. Respect Dublin by all means. What else can one say when they have been to the forefront of Gaelic football for the better part of two decades.
There have been times when we haven’t been fit to keep the ball kicked out to them and there may well be again, but the one thing a Meath team must never, ever do is go out and show or feel fear. Believe. Always believe. They don’t eat any better spuds than we do.
Those who will go into battle for the green corner are:
MEATH – B. Hogan; S. Lavin, S. Rafferty, B. O’Halloran; S. Coffey, D. Keogan, C. Caulfield; J. Flynn, B. Menton; C. Duke, R. Kinsella, K. Curtis; M. Costello, S. Walsh, E. Frayne (Capt).
SUBS – S. Brennan, S. Ryan, R. Ryan, A. O’Neill, D. McGowan, C. McBride, J. McEntee, J. Conlon, A. Lynch, E. Harkin, C. Hickey.
STANDBY – R. Jones, C. O’Connor, C. O’Sullivan, M. Murphy.*
*Standy players can brought into the matchday panel if any of those named drop out prior to throw in.
Leave a Reply