How’s tricks, all? Gavan Casey here, and I’ll be taking you through this evening’s All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final replay between Dublin and Kerry. Stick with us if you can’t make it to Croker or to a TV or radio for whatever reason — we’ll have minute-by-minute updates over the course of the game.
You can also turn on notifications for ‘Important Events’ — i.e. goals, red/black cards, etc — above.
Well, here we go again.
We’ll have team news and more build-up shortly, but for now, who do ye fancy?
Poll Results:
She’s looking well…
These will make great souvenirs for one set of supporters this evening… We just don’t know which one yet!
Both teams have made one change to their previously named starting lineups. In a real curveball, Peter Keane has replaced captain Gavin White with Diarmuid O’Connor.
For Jim Gavin’s side, Eoin Murchan comes in for MDMA.
Dublin
1. Stephen Cluxton
2. David Byrne
3. Michael Fitzsimons
4. Jonny Cooper
5. Jack McCaffrey
6. James McCarthy
7. John Small
8. Brian Fenton
24. Eoin Murchan
10. Niall Scully
11. Ciaran Kilkenny
12. Brian Howard
13. Paul Mannion
14. Con O’Callaghan
15. Dean Rock
Subs
16. Evan Comerford
17. Paddy Andrews
18. Bernard Brogan
19. Diarmuid Connolly
20. Cormac Costello
21. Eric Lowndes
22. Philly McMahon
23. Kevin McManamon
9. Michael Darragh MacAuley
25. Cian O’Sullivan
26. Paddy Small
Kerry
1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
2. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue)
3. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe)
4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
5. Paul Murphy (Rathmore)
6. Gavin Crowley (Templenoe)
7. Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht)
8. David Moran (Kerins O’Rahilly’s)
9. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)
23. Diarmuid O’Connor
11. Sean O’Shea (Kenmare)
12. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare)
13. David Clifford (Fossa)
14. Paul Geaney (Dingle)
15. Adrian Spillane (Templenoe)
Subs
16. Brian Kelly
17. Shane Enright
18. Killian Spillane
19. Jack Sherwood
20. Dara Moynihan
21. Tommy Walsh
22. Jonathan Lyne
10. Gavin White
24. Mark Griffin
25. Killian Young
26. James O’Donoghue
We’re on the run-in…
Worth noting: if it ends in a draw again today, there will be two 10-minute halves of extra-time, and then… Another replay.
Paul Murphy is Kerry captain in White’s absence. Dublin win the toss and will play toward Hill 16 for the first half, into the Davin for the second.
Amhrán na bhFiann draws to its conclusion.
Game on!
Con O’Callaghan swings one over with his left foot after mere seconds, and the Dubs are off the mark in the All-Ireland final.
After a minute and 25, Murchan drives on and lobs a handpass to Kilkenny, who repeats the trick off his left. Two attacks, two points.
Oh, what a point by Paul Mannion! He fires one over off his left from all of 50 yards, and the Hill erupts. Blistering start, Dubs on top early doors.
David Moran booms a free in towards the square, but Paul Geaney loses out to Cluxton and Dublin come away with it. Down the other end, Con O’Callaghan cuts inside from the left and feeds Kilkenny who taps one over off his right. Champions on fire.
Again, Geaney is beaten to a high ball by Cluxton — and was also well shepherded by his marker David Byrne — and again Dublin are on the attack within seconds.
This one, however, slows down, and Gavin’s men now have possession around the Kerry 45′. No rush, no hurry. Out to Mannion. His shot comes back down from the stratosphere and drops…over the bar!
Dublin’s first ‘miss’ as O’Callaghan drops one short into Shane Ryan’s hands.
Kerry, though, have had a miserable opening nine minutes, and their counter-attack breaks down as a loose pass goes out over the endline.
Dublin fail to capitalise as Jonny Cooper gets into nosebleed territory and mishits a pass towards Con.
Kerry, now, in possession around midfield. It might be worth slowing things down from their perspective, and just having a look. They’ve been hit by a blizzard in the opening 10 minutes.
Eventually, Kerry fashion a decent chance and narrow the gap to three! Brian Ó Beaglaoich meanders toward the Dublin goal and is taken down — no foul — but recovers well to tee up Geaney. The oncoming forward shoots for goal but puts it well over the bar. Nice move by The Kingdom. Let’s see if it can settle them.
David Clifford narrows the gap further, popping one over from close range off his right. Hill incensed as they felt Kilkenny had been fouled the other end — it looked like they had a point.
O’Callaghan, however, responds with a strong burst towards goal and a fine point off his left. 0-6 to 0-3.
Another really patient build-up by the Dubs and David Byrne cuts through the middle to fire over only his second-ever championship point. Nearly every attack from Dublin has been fruitful.
Adrian Spillane with a really excellent score, swashbuckling and swinging one over from centre-right.
Seconds later, Clifford is given too much space and curls one over off his left.
The pace to this game is insane. Me fingers!!! Also: 12 scores so far, only one free!
Byrne has a pass cut out by Stephen O’Brien whose counter is halted illegally by McCaffrey.
From the resulting free, it’s Kerry this time who go with a more patient approach, passing tentatively around midfield.
Eventually, Sean O’Shea finds Clifford, who produces a wonderful finish off his right. Superb point. Dublin-esque!
A phenomenal point by Kilkenny, his third, who runs out left, then cuts back in on his right and drops one over. The accuracy from both teams so far has been beyond belief.
Down the other end, the Kerry half-forward line combine well to tee up Geaney, and he fires one over on the run. Another high-calibre score.
0-8 to 0-7 in Dublin’s favour. What a start!
We’ve got ourselves another good one.
Conor Lane gives a good advantage as O’Callaghan is pulled an hauled by the Kerry defence. O’Callaghan lashes over off his left.
Wow! McCaffrey runs into traffic up one end, and Kerry burst forward through Clifford, Ó Beaglaoich and Morley. Huge goal opportunity for Kerry but a cynical foul — I think by O’Callaghan who had tracked back — gets only a ticking off in Conor Lane’s notebook.
If that’s not a black card, what’s the point in black cards?
O’Shea taps over the free, and the Dubs reply down the other end moments later.
Breathless stuff.
It was actually Michael Fitzsimons who got the tick, not O’Callaghan who did the dragging down. Woeful umpiring letting Lane down, there.
Mannion has a shot from the near the right-hand touchline which drops into Ryan’s hands again. Kerry break through David Moran who feeds the rampaging Stephen O’Brien, and bang! Superb shoulder by Fitzsimons, who cleans him out.
Three minutes of stoppage time, into the first of them now.
Miscalculated pass by Kilkenny and Kerry transition from defence into attack with the blink of an eye. It’s Paul Geaney who bangs over a huge score and the teams are level!
It looks like Jack McCaffrey has picked up a bit of a knock, here, near midfield. We’ll keep you posted on that one. Ó Beaglaoich has picked up the first card of the game as well — it may have been for a challenge on McCaffrey put I missed it. Apologies! You’d need a second liveblogger with the pace of this game.
There was also a moment a minute or two before Kerry’s equalising point in which O’Callaghan seemed to be fouled in the air. Dublin fans aggrieved — probably thinking of the Kerry penalty in the first final for a similar-enough challenge by Cooper on Clifford. Boos at half-time, but probably from both sets of fans given O’Callaghan was lucky to escape a card for his defensive foul earlier.
In truth, Conor Lane has had a fine game. He’s let plenty go, but it has added to the spectacle.
Have seen a few of you in the comments section with complaints about the scoreboard not updating. The live score at the top of the article seems to be working okay here, and on my phone as well. But just in case it’s not updating for a few of you, I’ll include the current score at the start of every post in the second half. Cheers, all.
GOOOOALLLL! Dublin 1-10 Kerry 0-10: OHHH WHAT A GOAL BY EOIN MURCHAN! Straight from throw-in at the start of the second half, he steamrolls all the way toward the Kerry goal, and finishes superbly into the right-hand corner past Ryan. Stunning, stunning goal!
Dublin 1-11 Kerry 0-10: Con slots one over shortly afterwards.
Dublin 1-11 Kerry 1-11: By the way, Jack McCaffrey hasn’t come out for the second half. On in his place is Diarmuid Connolly. Looks like Brian Howard will drop back.
Clifford strikes for Kerry with a lovely point.
Dublin 1-11 Kerry 0-12: Geaney measures one beautifully from a tight angle on the right-hand side.
Dublin 1-11 Kerry 0-12: Paul Mannion with Dublin’s first wide after 43 minutes. Kerry notched their fifth shortly beforehand when Tom O’Sullivan was inches away off his left.
Dublin 1-11 Kerry 0-13: Sean O’Shea with a boom-missile, and we have a one-point game again!
Dublin 1-12 Kerry 0-13: Ah, a marvellous score by Kilkenny. What a pass by Connolly, who drills it into Kilkenny’s chest from 40-odd yards way. Great take. Over the bar.
Dublin 1-12 Kerry 0-13: Paul Murphy down with a hamstring problem but looks like he’ll try to walk it off. Killian Spillane, a hero two weeks ago, is about to make his entry.
Dublin 1-12 Kerry 0-13: They’re mad about each other, these lads.
Dublin 1-13 Kerry 0-13: Dublin with that long, patient build-up again, frustrating Kerry who don’t seem all that keen to commit to any challenges that might open up space around them. Dublin have had the ball for over a minute. A few boos, now, from the Kerry fans.
Finally, Paul Mannion notches his third point after being fed by Brian Fenton. Three-point lead for Dublin.
Dublin 1-13 Kerry 0-13: Super block down by Kilkenny and then, down the other end, Connolly fires wide off his left.
Jack Sherwood and Gavin White on for The Kingdom.
Dublin 1-13 Kerry 0-13: Chance for Kerry! Stephen O’Brien with a stong, mazy run but his shot from point-blank range is turned away by Cluxton. He kind of ran out of space ever so slightly towards the end of his run, but a good stop nonetheless.
Dublin 1-14 Kerry 0-13: Mannion makes and angle and bags a perfect score off his left. Kerry have hung tough, but will this be the period in which the Dubs turn the screw?
Dublin 1-14 Kerry 0-14: I don’t think Killian Spillane actually came on, by the way.
Clifford gets his fifth, this one a free. Back to three points.
Dublin 1-15 Kerry 0-14: Sublime pass by Connolly sets up a real goal chance for Niall Scully, but he blazes over. Lead is back out to four.
Down the other end, Geaney has a poor miss. That could be a little swing moment in this game. Cormac Costello on for Niall Scully, whose last involvement was that point.
Dublin 1-15 Kerry 0-14: Paul Murphy’s race is run. Killian Spillane is finally on.
Dublin 1-15 Kerry 0-14: Tommy Walsh has come on as well for Kerry. Made quite the impact the last day. Jack Barry kicks another wide for Kerry, whose challenge is at a crucial juncture now. They may be running out of steam ever so slightly.
Dublin 1-16 Kerry 0-15: James McCarthy adds to Dublin’s advantage with a fine score from the right-hand side. Sean O’Shea battles hard to reply for Kerry after a pass inside by Geaney.
Dublin 1-16 Kerry 0-15: Poor wide by Moran. Too many chances going astray for Kerry — nine wides now. They’ve lost their composure.
James O’Donoghue on now for Jack Barry.
Dublin 1-16 Kerry 0-15: Yellow for Clifford who pulls on a loose ball and catches Fenton. This came from a loose pass by Geaney who was trying to forge a goal chance for Kerry. The Dubs are edging closer…
Dublin 1-17 Kerry 0-15: McManamon feeds Dean Rock, and over it goes again! Lovely score. The lead is five!
Dublin 1-17 Kerry 0-15: This could be the moment…
Dublin 1-17 Kerry 0-15: McManamon misses wide left, unusually, but Kerry look like they’re out of steam. We’re 90 seconds into five minutes of added time.
Dublin 1-18 Kerry 0-15: SUPERB double save by Shane Ryan who denies Connolly’s drive, and then O’Callaghan’s attempted chip.
But from the resulting 45′, Dean Rock sticks a fork in it. A beauty! Six points the margin.
Dublin 1-18 Kerry 0-15:Kerry actually fashion a late goal chance with a few Hail Mary passes, but Stephen O’Brien fly-hacks it wide with bodies everywhere.
Drink it in, Dublin!
Five.
In.
A.
Row.
Three teams in the past have come close, but Jim Gavin’s Dubs have made history.
One suspects they’ll see plenty more of that Kerry team in the coming years, but today is about Dublin and their piece of history.
Thanks for joining us, folks. Keep an eye on The42 for a full report and reaction from Croke Park.
I trust Joe. He is at the centre of everything. He is also the best and really knows best.
One of the beauties of having Joe Schmidt as head coach – the first world class head coach, with the exception of Warren Gatland, that Ireland has ever had – is that he has created a system in which every player in the squad can slot into seamlessly. Everybody knows their role and what is expected. Unlike previous Irish head coaches, such as embittered ones currently employed by RTE, Joe Schmidt can see the bigger picture in the World Cup: he doesn’t panic and send out old reliables, who are not fully fit, in the first match. Joe Schmidt’s dispassionate and beautifully professional approach is what has seen Ireland enter the Rugby World Cup as the Number One ranked team in the world, an incredible achievement which shows Joe Schmidt’s ability, unique among Irish head coaches, of getting Ireland ready to peak at the right time.
Joe Schmidt’s Ireland’s confident, back-to-back defeats of Wales in the RWC warm-ups were not only important for proving which team had the greater strength in depth, but were timely in the event of a potential meeting with Wales in the World Cup semi-finals. Those results proved, yet again, lest any of the doubters and begrudgers had any doubts, Joe Schmidt’s permanent class. Schmidt and his team have given Irish supporters a sweet gift in the run-in to the RWC: the great pleasure of clicking on the World Rugby website and seeing Ireland ranked on top of the world, even before we go on to lift the Webb Ellis trophy!
@J. Reid:
We are not number 1 in the world :: NZ ::: S A :: England ::Ireland/Wales
But it will be nice to look back at the numbers in 5 years’ time to see we were No. 1 in the world in September 2019 (the number will still be there and the memory will have slipped )
@J. Reid: Stan
@Martin Quinn: Why do you constantly use colons in your posts? It’s really odd.
Our pack is superior, but the backrow battle will be immense, need to nullify Barclay & Watson.
Fingers crossed our lineout functions properly.
Looking forward to seeing Conway & Larmour, hope their eagerness to impress doesn’t lead to any brain farts though. Conway is fearless contesting the high ball, but sometimes mistimes & takes the jumper out in the air. We can’t afford to be down to 14 men.
Seems pretty silly to have Carty come off the bench with McGrath, when Marmion, Carty and Aki have a telepathy between them and would be playing at the same time. Anyhow, hope McGrath has a stormer and makes me eat my words with regards him being picked ahead of Marms.
@Joe Vlogs: Well he couldn’t come off the bench with Marmion as he’s not in the squad. If Joe sees McGrath as the better option for whatever reason, be it he thinks he’s a better player or Marmion hasn’t been fully fit, it would have made little sense to bring a scrum half to the world cup that he didn’t fancy just because he’s bringing his club mate as what will most likely be 3rd choice fly half as the tournament progresses.
@Joe Vlogs: or maybe McGrath has the same with sexton Ross Byrne , henshaw, larmour Kearney etc. it’s Ireland playing not a bunch of mates who play down the road
I trust Joe. He is at the centre of everything and, with his intimate knowledge of everything rugby and his excellant judgement, seldom if ever lets us down.
Looks like he throwing the first match
@Colm: how do you figure that
Conway should be playing full back.
front row will put pressure on Scots.
overall pack will dominate Scotland.
must stop Hogg on gain line.
Hopefully Stockdale won’t jump out of the line
@john fleming: I disagree, he’s great in the air but runs the ball back which is great but too frequently gets turned over…unlike Kearney and to a lesser extent unlike Larmour. Ball presentation is key in that position with little room for error. He had a great game against Wales but did see him turnover ball twice against Wales
Realistically I think we all expected this starting 15. Some might have put Conway at 15 and Larmour on the wing, I would have too, but it’s obvious that Joe sees Larmour as a better option there than Conway. Because of injuries the backs pretty much picked themselves. He’s also gone with the tried and tested in the backrow. In the absence of Toner I think it’s fair to say that POM will start all the big games when fit for his lineout prowess. Leaving Stander and Conan to fight it out for number 8. Only real surprise might be Scannel on the bench instead of Cronin but Scannel is a good player and is my bet for the starting hooker come the 6 nations. Looking at both teams and not permitting for weird weather I think Ireland will have too much for Scotland. Ireland by 10
I probably would of preferred Conway at fullback but to be fair, larmour has been our back up fullback to Kearney and it would of been a slap in the face to larmour if he didn’t start him there. It’s a very potent back 3 but I just have a small fear of that 3 defensively but coybig!!!!
Wales/England would look to exploit recent aerial form and set piece worries, but don’t think the Scots like playing tactics, they wont switch up their formula and will just hope Russell doesn’t have a howler. Cracker of a game hopefully.
With Kearney fully fit I would expect a 7-12 point win but without him it will be a nailbiter. Can see Laidlaw and Russell sending deep box kicks and garryowens for Hogg, Maitland and Seymour to test Larmour all day.