GAA: Talking points ahead of the weekend
Sunday 6 August 2017 19:00, UK
The August bank holiday weekend is set to be the busiest weekend yet in this year's GAA calendar with no less than five games taking place over three days.
The second two football quarter finals and the first of the hurling semi-finals were always scheduled for this weekend but as a result of a draw between Mayo and Roscommon last Sunday these two teams will also be involved with their game set to take place on Bank Holiday Monday.
The first of this season's ticket flurries took place this week with Saturday's double header featuring the Dubs set to be the first full house of the season at GAA HQ. They will take on Monaghan - live on Sky Sports at 6pm - on Saturday evening with the Dublin trio of Paul Flynn, Michael Darragh McAuley and Johnny Cooper expected to make a welcome return for Jim Gavin at some stage of the game.
The early game from Croke Park is an All-Ulster affair as neighbours Tyrone and Armagh will renew their rivalry at 4pm.
Tyrone come into the game as Ulster Champions having taken the direct route and crowned provincial winners for the second season in a row. Armagh, on the other hand, have masterminded their way through the qualifiers and to their credit have recovered admirably since their Ulster quarter-final defeat to Down earlier in the summer most recently last weekend with a confidence-boosting victory over Leinster finalists Kildare.
Monday will see another big derby between Connaught rivals Mayo and Roscommon in a game that will throw in at 2pm in Croke Park.
Both teams played out an enthralling match last weekend with Roscommon asking some serious questions of this seasoned Mayo outfit. Mayo did as Mayo always do, dug their heels in, stayed patient and ground out a result in the end to maintain their interest in this year's Championship.
With such an exciting weekend ahead, it's time to now have a look at some talking points to ponder before the action kicks off.
Tyrone to pass tricky test?
This year Tyrone are being included in all of the GAA discussions among fans when it comes to discussing and predicting All-Ireland contenders. Tyrone are currently dining at the top table when it comes to the league rankings each year, Ulster Champions for the second year in a row and favourites to overcome Armagh on Saturday to advance to this years All-Ireland semi final. This would suggest that the all of the talk is justified but have Tyrone got the belief and confidence required in themselves to go all the way? Saturday's result and performance should answer a lot of questions as to where they are at.
Gavin to withhold big guns?
In the Leinster semi-final and also the final on July 16 Jim Gavin included Con O'Callaghan (21), Niall Scully (21) and Paul Mannion (24) in the starting 15. The bench included Bernard Brogan, Kevin McManamon and Eoghan O'Gara, players with more inter-county experience than most and with 11 All-Ireland medals between them. Their winning margin between the two games was 40 points for Dublin so Gavin's new system is working an absolute treat so far this year.
The younger players, to their credit, look like they have been playing inter-county football for years and the senior players who have had to adapt to new roles from the bench are raring to go each time they are called upon by. Jim Gavin and their contributions so far this summer have been key when trying to close out games and finish on a high. Bernard Brogan scoring 0-5 points from play coming off the bench in the Leinster final is one that stands out from the rest.
Jim Gavin has found a perfect balance between giving the youngsters a starting place on the team which they fully deserve and also closing out the game with his experienced players who know what it takes to close out a game especially towards the business end of the season when games are tight.
As we edge into the closing stages of the Championship season it will be very interesting to see if Jim Gavin will stick to the game plan that has served him so well since the turn of the year or will he return to the old guard who are tried and tested time and time again at this level.
Roscommon rebels to reach last four?
Roscommon came to Croke Park full of confidence and belief last Sunday and they were seconds away from a deserved victory over their close neighbours Mayo. Kevin McStay had his team primed for battle and even though they went into the game as underdogs, their dogged and spirited display over the 70 minutes confirmed to everyone that this team are not just here to make up the numbers and firmly believe they have what it takes to get the better of Mayo on Monday afternoon.
After just 12 minutes of play on Sunday, Roscommon were leading the game 2-2 to 0-1 and with a bit more belief and experience would have left Mayo out of sight and won the game comfortably. If the game is level or even close going into the final stages on Monday can Roscommon find the belief in themselves and trust themselves enough to go for it and achieve that breakthrough win and reach the All-Ireland semi finals.
There would be no happier man at the final whistle than Kevin McStay if Roscommon can find the correct answers against his native county to advance into the last four of the Championship.
Sky Sports live GAA coverage continues on Saturday with the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals. Tyrone v Armagh, live on Sky Sports Arena from 3pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 3.15pm followed by Dublin v Monaghan, live on Sky Sports Arena from 6pm.
For those on the move, you can get updates via our live blog at www.skysports.com/GAA or @SkySportsGAA
