1. Can Begley shore up Laois?
HAVING HAD TO watch Laois’ first round win over Wicklow from the sidelines, Colm Begley has been brought back into the O’Moore County’s starting XV as they look to cause an upset over Dublin on Sunday.
The half-back, who was disciplined for lining up for his club – Parnell’s – in a Dublin senior championship game prior to the start of Laois’ Leinster campaign last month, has been welcomed back by manager Tomás Ó Flatharta.
However, whether the inclusion of the 27-year old who spent time in the AFL with Brisbane and St. Kilda will be enough to stem a Dublin attack that averaged 20 points per game throughout the league remains to be seen.
2. Podge Collins makes his football debut
You may be more accustomed to seeing him with a hurley in his hand but Podge Collins is one of four debutants named by his dad, Colm, as Clare get set to take on Waterford in the Munster SFC quarter-finals this evening.
Collins is an accomplished footballer, having won an intermediate (2009) and senior (2013) club championship with Cratloe in the last five years.
The hurling All-Star is set to make his first start alongside wing-back Ciaran Russell, midfielder Jamie Malone and corner-forward Martin O’Leary as Clare look to build towards a first Munster title since 1992 and third all-time.
3. Cavan are many people’s dark horses
After their disappointing showing against Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-finals last year, Cavan had a strong league campaign – albeit in Division 3 – with Terry Hyland’s men showing that tight defensive play was still possible, even with the introduction of the black card.
Cavan will certainly have the experience this Sunday with 13 of the team who knocked Armagh out of last year’s Ulster championship set to start and no debutants involved at all.
Having tasted success at U21 level four years running, many expect Cavan to be there or thereabouts when it comes to lifting the Anglo-Celt Cup on July 20.
4. No U21s for Roscommon
11 of the Roscommon team who suffered a 12-point loss in last year’s Connacht semi-final return for another stab at a Mayo team looking to reach their third All-Ireland final in succession.
However, there’s no room in the panel for any of Nigel Dineen’s U21 stars who reached this year’s All-Ireland final.
The omission of the likes of Diarmuid Murtagh and Enda Smyth will be a surprise for many Rossies supporters especially with the former making a positive impact when sprung from the bench against Leitrim in the last round.
5. Most likely upset?
Dublin are generally 1/40 to beat Laois on Sunday – which is virtually unheard of for a football championship game not involving New York or London – while Laois are available at 12/1 to cause an upset.
However prohibitive, those odds are reflective of Laois’ chances against the Dublin juggernaut but, elsewhere in the Leinster championship, Louth will look to draw on the spirit of 2010 as they seek to topple Kildare.
Lilywhites boss Jason Ryan has already warned his side against complacency but, on a weekend when few upsets look likely, this game does have the potential to make a few Kildare fans nervous.
