GAELIC GAMES/Galway v Kerry: You'd have to go back a while to come across as attractive a final as tomorrow's Allianz National Football League climax between Galway and Kerry. It's 11 years since two such obvious contenders faced off in the spring and generated a similar sense of anticipation.
Unlike in the 1993 Dublin-Donegal final, however, we needn't expect record crowds at Croke Park tomorrow.
Given the difficulty in prising Kerry - and to be fair, Galway - people up to Dublin for All-Ireland semi-finals, there is little sense in anticipating throngs on Jones's Road.
"We're expecting around 30,000," was the view of the GAA PRO, Danny Lynch. "That's not deliberately down-playing it, but this is a Bank Holiday weekend when a lot of people go away anyway before you factor in the effect of the heavy security in Dublin and this being the first big tourist weekend in Kerry."
For those who make the journey the effort should prove worthwhile, although as anyone who got worked up in advance of last August's Kerry-Tyrone All-Ireland semi-final will ruefully confirm, there are no guarantees in such matters.
There is more pressure on Galway to perform. They have emerged from an epic, two semi-final matches against Tyrone and unwrapped their best form in three years. Kerry, on the other hand, have rehabilitated nicely after last year's assorted traumas and go into tomorrow's match below strength and less beset by expectation.
More than from the title at stake, the pressure on John O'Mahony's team comes from within. Galway frequently give the impression that with their best game purring and crackling, they are unbeatable, but they are capable of greater extremes of performance than any other side in the modern game. And sometimes within the one match.
The fundamental ambition this weekend has to be to maintain the levels of the past fortnight rather than inexplicably flatline.
There is the further issue of the relationship with Kerry. On the three occasions these teams have met in the championship, Galway have walked away scourged with regret.
The most keenly observed aspect of their game will be the display of Paul Clancy at centre back. So far, on extremely limited evidence, there is reason to feel provisionally optimistic. Clancy's reading of the game and his use of the ball make him a likely candidate, but the lack of developed defensive instincts militates against him.
Yet a week ago in Salthill he showed some excellent powers of anticipation, effecting at one stage a goalmouth interception. Should Declan O'Sullivan be passed fit, Clancy will get a severe examination, although the Kerry player's tendency to drift very deep off the 40 can help curb his own scoring threat.
A good display tomorrow won't of itself prove Clancy the answer to the problem, but a disaster might prove the opposite. An important afternoon.
Elsewhere, there's not too much experimental going on and Galway's strengths are established ones, from Pádhraic Joyce's searing form at full forward to the burgeoning talent of Micheál Meehan and Michael Donnellan's more settled appearance at centre forward.
Centrefield is more confident with Joe Bergin's blossoming assurance, and the revived career of Seán Ó Domhnaill is providing options as well as cover for the injured Kevin Walsh.
Kerry are still threadbare in this area, and with Darragh Ó Sé suspended manager Jack O'Connor has to improvise by pulling Eoin Brosnan back from the 40 to partner William Kirby. But aside from this perennially troublesome topic, the county has plenty to be pleased about after the new management's first few months.
The defence is playing coherently and well, Michael McCarthy has settled well at full back and Séamus Moynihan is thriving in a more advanced position.
The first-choice full-forward line of Cooper, O'Sullivan and Russell picks itself, although with the question mark over O'Sullivan John Crowley is given another chance at full forward to see if he can rediscover the form that nearly made him footballer of the year in 2001.
But more than any inventory of the team's strengths and individual aspects, the collective spirit is the most encouraging development. From a reputation for doubtful resilience, Kerry have become a practised second-half team.
They faced down a Limerick side eager to snap their neighbours' traditional stranglehold in the semi-final, and managed to do so a man short and with Declan O'Sullivan injured.
The counties had a proxy battle in March when Caltra surprised An Gaeltacht in the club final.
Interestingly for a club that has dominated Kerry selections in recent years, the county champions may have no one playing tomorrow and consequently no survivors from St Patrick's Day.
Galway are decisively ahead on most counts going into this weekend. They have a more settled team, key players in good form and a well-developed match sharpness. They aren't that far ahead of Kerry, but enough to make it count.
