OVER the past few weeks I’ve read with great interest the numerous Championship 2016 supplements, each of them providing an in-depth look into the runners and riders from each province.
Sports reporters and former players took their turn to give opinions on each team’s potential, outlining their strengths, weaknesses and likely match-winners.
One of the themes that constantly jumped out was the admiration for the competitiveness of the Ulster Championship.
I even giggled to myself when I saw a headling claiming “only three teams can win Ulster”.
Only three? That’s at least one more than any other province when you consider Mayo are going for six in-a-row in Connacht.
In Munster, setting aside Clare’s historic victory in 1992, you have to go all the way back to Tipperary’s win in 1935 for a winner outside of Kerry or Cork.
And, of course, Dublin’s dominance in Leinster only looks like its gathering momentum.
I was one of only 13,066 in attendance at Croke Park on Saturday to watch the double-header between Kildare and Wexford’s footballers and then their Dublin and Wexford counterparts.
When you consider that almost 10,000 supporters from counties with supposedly small fan bases attended the Fermanagh versus Antrim Ulster preliminary round clash in Enniskillen, you get further proof of the outstanding interest in our games across the province.
Before a ball was kicked, the three teams being picked out as potential Ulster champions were holders Monaghan, Donegal and Tyrone, who came in on the back of a successful campaign in Division Two and are hoping to build on last year’s Championship run by claiming a first provincial title since 2010.
This coming weekend sees the highly-anticipated clash between Cavan and Armagh, two teams who would be viewed by most as being outside the ‘potential champions’ bracket.
That said, Cavan’s promotion to Division One for next year provides further evidence of real progress being made within the county as they continue to build on their U21 and school successes in recent times.
However, 2016 is probably a year too soon for them in terms of achieving Ulster senior success, but they are closing the gap to the top three and competing at the highest level in Division One next year will only add to the confidence and interest in football throughout the county.
For now, though, Sunday’s Championship clash will generate huge interest, both within Ulster and across the country.
No doubt the majority of neutrals will be tuning into the game expecting something similar to the old International Rules games, when a lively skillful contest was merely an added bonus to the physicality that was going on around it.
The rivalry between Cavan and Armagh has developed, practically from nowhere, in recent years.
They comprehensively beat us on our last Championship visit to Breffni Park in 2013, when a mixture of Armagh naivety in defence and a lack of Championship intensity across the field led to both the players and our management team taking serious flak from supporters and commentators alike.
The return fixture a year later at the Athletic Grounds, which become famous for “bandgate”, drew yet more negative headlines because of the unsavory clash before the pre-game parade had even started.
It was a regrettable incident that occured on live TV in front of thousands of youngsters, but it was all very easy to blame Armagh, with many observers claiming we were laying down the law early because of our our tame exit at the hands of Cavan the year previous.
I was in the dugout on the opposite side of the field to the incident but I can assure you it was not something that was pre-planned in advance of the game.
In fact, it all stemmed from a simple request that the ladies carrying the respective county flags swap sides as we had assumed that, as the home side, we got the outside line.
There’s no doubting the scuffle played into our hands as it fired us up even more than we already were, but the truth is that it sparked up out of nothing.
You can be sure this weekend’s referee Eddie Kinsella and his officials will want to stamp their authority on the game early to make sure nothing boils over. Everyone recognises there is a step up in pace, aggression and desire from each player come the Championship because it means that bit more, but discipline will be huge as neither team can afford to go down to 14 men because it will give the opposition an extra man to double up on the men in top form.
That is something most teams are adept at perfecting these days.
Two men who could go a long way to deciding the outcome of this game are Gearoid McKiernan of Cavan and Armagh’s Stefan Campbell.
McKiernan has recovered his best form after a cruciate injury and has come back fitter, leaner and with a renewed hunger to make up for lost time. His form throughout the League was one of the main reasons Cavan gained promotion to Division One.
In their crucial game against Galway, McKiernan kicked five points from play, from all angles and distances and off either foot, but he also kicked a further four wides which gives you an indication of how much ball is played through him.
When is the last time you saw a centre half-forward have nine shots in one match?
I’d expect Armagh to give Ciaran McKeever the man-marking duties on McKiernan, and it’s the type of challenge McKeever will relish.
Even though he missed almost the entire League campaign, his full focus would always have been on the Championship and giving him a role of such importance will bring out the best in Ciaran.
Stefan Campbell made a bold statement at the start of the League when he said he wanted to assume the target man role in the absence of Jamie Clarke and so far he has not disappointed.
He was the focal point of the attack throughout the League. Not only has he been the main threat from play, he has also taken on the responsibility of free-taking.
Will Armagh be able to get enough quality ball to him to allow him to do damage and brings others into the game before Cavan get their defensive structure in place?
It will be an intriguing tactical battle, and I don’t expect for one minute this season’s one-sided League game being replicated.
However, If I am being honest and allowing my head rule my heart, I’d expect a narrow Cavan win based on the form both sides have shown so far this year.
