The Weekend That Was: A Kerry v Donegal All-Ireland final isn't the clash of styles you think it is
In the green and gold corner we have
Kerry
, keepers of the kicking flame, salty purveyors of it's-called-football-for-a-reason asides. And in the, eh, yellow and green corner we have
Donegal
, who would handpass their granny's coffin into the grave if they thought they could get it past the priest.
That's presumably how it will be built up, at any rate. Watch out for a couple of weeks of very broad-brush painting of these two teams. It will be
David Clifford
v
Michael Murphy
;
Jack O'Connor
v
Jim McGuinness
; Shane Ryan v Shaun Patton. The smooth, slick footballing brilliance of princes of the Kingdom versus the systematic, relentless drive of the boys from the Hills.
Some of it will ring true. But some of it will be the worst sort of guff too. The trick will be to separate the myths from the reality.
READ MORE
We have plenty to go on at least. Kerry and Donegal have played 18 matches between them in this year's championship to date so the sample size is bigger than it's ever been for a final. When these teams met in the 2014 decider, they had played a total of nine games between them to get there. There will be no secrets between them come 3.30 on Sunday week. The rest of us looking in from the outside will have no excuses for being ill-informed either.
There are some obvious contrasts to be drawn. For one thing, Donegal tend to have a greater spread of scorers than Kerry. They saw a dozen players get on the scoresheet on Sunday, compared to seven for Kerry on Saturday.
Ryan McHugh of Donegal in action against Meath's Jordan Morris during the All-Ireland SFC semi-final at Croke Park. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Kerry have averaged a shade under eight scorers per game in their eight matches, Donegal have averaged almost exactly 10 per game in their 10. As Ciarán Kirk showed in these pages last week, Kerry rely heavily on David Clifford and Seán O'Shea for over half of their scores. Donegal are a more varied threat.
[
David Clifford and Seán O'Shea carrying big scoring burden for Kerry
Opens in new window
]
And there's no doubting the essential truth that the two counties think about the game in contrasting ways. McGuinness has often referenced the fact that Donegal teams have traditionally leant on a running, handpassing game because they play so many matches in the wind up in the northwest. Whether this rings particularly true is debatable – they get plenty of wind around the Ring of Kerry too.
But one way or another, it's in the county DNA and McGuinness has never been of a mind to change it. Donegal's game is about high-running, fast breaks, up and down the pitch. That's who they are. Kerry do it differently – but as McGuinness pointed out yesterday, not THAT differently when it comes right down to it.
'I suppose when you're playing a running game and a support game, everybody needs to be able to do that,' he said, referencing the spread of scorers. 'I think today everybody did do that and we were able then to rotate fellas inside and give them a breather and let other fellas go back and hopefully they're going to be able to defend to the same level and attack to the same level as well.
'Listen, the game has changed dramatically over the last number of months. We just felt that it was important to see how those changes would grow, if you like, and then bring our own template to how we want to play the game to that. And it's served us well. I think Kerry have done the exact same thing.
'I don't think Kerry have done a huge amount differently. They have their own way of playing as well. They play with their head up, they're looking for dink balls, they're looking for third-man runners, they're looking to support. In the same way we support off the shoulder, they're looking to do it the exact same way, only with a different kick or whatever it is beforehand.
'So, yeah, everybody's got their own principles and how they see the game. For me it's important just to keep what it is to be from your county very close to the centre, and then move with the rules. And I think we've done quite a good job on that front.'
Kerry's Kieran Donaghy celebrates scoring a goal with James O'Donoghue during the 2014 All-Ireland final against Donegal. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Though it may be a slightly self-serving point to make, McGuinness isn't entirely wrong. Kerry do like to let the ball do the work, it's true. But the basic thrust of both teams' game is the same – organised zonal defence, a manic zeal for breaking ball around the middle, get it up to the forwards.
Kerry are not dogmatic about kicking at all costs. They indulge in plenty of handpassing too – and you can be sure they'll do so in the final. Kerry football is about winning, first and foremost. Never forget that.
Go back to their last great coup, the 2014 final against Donegal. It was billed as a clash of styles all the way from the semi-finals onwards but Eamonn Fitzmaurice was adamant behind the scenes that Kerry weren't going to fall into Donegal's trap. Instead, they mimicked Donegal's low block and waited for a mistake, Kieran Donaghy pouncing on a botched kick-out for the killer goal.
So yes, styles make fights. And in the new game, there isn't room for an old-style Donegal to sit back and turn a final into trench warfare. But this is Jack O'Connor's eighth final. As he pointed out on Saturday night, it's a fourth final for most of his Kerry team – or indeed a fifth, including the replay in 2019. They won't be taking any more chances with the ball than they need to.
One thing feels pretty obvious after the weekend – the two best teams are in the final. Can't ask for much more than that from a championship.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
42 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
GAA to face awkward DJ Carey decision during Sunday's All-Ireland Hurling final
GAA organisers will have to make an awkward decision regarding DJ Carey before Sunday's All-Ireland final with the 2000 All-Ireland winning Kilkenny team set to be honoured. As is tradition, the victors from 25 years ago return to Croke Park on the day of the All-Ireland final with each panel member's name read out individually while they are invited to receive applause from the Croke Park crowd. The ceremony, which takes place before the game, will typically mention those in attendance. DJ Carey was part of that 2000 winning team and was named Man of the Match for his performance on the day. However, the GAA have been left with the headache as to whether to announce Carey as part of the Jubilee Team or not. The five-time All-Ireland winner recently pleaded guilty to 10 counts of defrauding a number of people out of money while pretending he had cancer. The 10 counts Carey pleaded guilty to involved a total of 13 complainants, including Denis O'Brien, Owen and Ann Conway, Mark and Sharon Kelly, Aidan Mulligan, Tony Griffin and Christy Browne, Thomas Butler, Jeffrey Howes, Noel Tynan and Edwin Carey. Given that Carey is now awaiting sentencing for the charges, GAA organised are now in the unenviable position of deciding if they are to break from tradition by excluding a member during the Jubilee announced, and it is highly unlikely that Carey will attend the honours. Carey made his debut for Kilkenny in 1988 and played up until 2006 and undoubtedly goes down as one of the game's greats. Carey won 10 Leinster Senior Championship medals to go along with his five All-Ireland titles as well as four league titles and a Player of the Year gong in 2000. The ex-Kilkenny forward also collected nine All-Star awards during his career, trailing only Henry Shefflin with 11. Cork and Tipperary meet in this Sunday's All-Ireland final with throw-in set for 3.30 pm.
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
'We all have our roles' - Donegal's long-serving point-scoring machines remain pivotal
IN THE 44TH minute of yesterday's All-Ireland semi-final, a Donegal attack into the Davin End goal culminated with a scoring flourish being applied. It was a typical team move, possession transferred at high speed with the ball-carrier constantly supported by clever angles of running from team-mates. And it was rounded off by the team's talisman hooking a close-range shot over the bar. Michael Murphy reigstered his sixth point of the game with that kick and Donegal's 15th. With Oisin Gallen having broke the Meath resistance for the opening goal two minutes previously, Donegal were eight clear and firmly in command. The Donegal support cheered jubilantly when Murphy pointed, just as they did for every other contribution he had made in the game, and then they rose in acclaim a minute later when the fourth official board went up to signify number 14 was being withdrawn. Murphy, Donegal's leader, was replaced by Patrick McBrearty, Donegal's captain, who would go on to notch three points and ensure his fingerprints were all over Donegal's attacking output for the remainder of the game. In that change, Donegal illustrated the range of attacking options they possess and the depth they can tap into in their panel. Jim McGuinness spoke afterwards about how it 'had been a hell of a long road back' from the misery of their defeat at this stage of the championship last year at the hands of Galway. At the time in his immediate reflections on their second-half fadeout in that game, McGuinness touched on the need to begin the process of improvement on the bus home to the north-west that evening. Advertisement After their destruction of Meath, the Donegal manager revisited that topic and stressed the increased strength of their panel had facilitated the transformation from two-point semi-final losers in 2024 to twenty-point semi-final winners in 2025. All year Murphy has offered reminders why the decision was made for him to return to the demands of the inter-county game last November, two years after his retirement. Murphy and Donegal have slipped back into a comfortable relationship, and in the county's quest to reach the All-Ireland showpiece forn the first time in 11 years, and only the fourth time in their history, his role was of fundamental importance. Two minutes into a match, which was bristling with anticipation beforehand as the expectant fanbases whipped up a storm, Murphy posted the opening score, gathering a ball on the loop and kicking confidently between the posts. Meath got a couple of lifts that underdogs require, a Ruairi Kinsella point here, an Eoghan Frayne point there, to edge into a slender lead. Nine minutes in and Donegal get a free within two-point range. Facing into a Hill 16 packed with a baying Meath mob, Murphy blocked out the noise and strode up before slotting the shot that prompted the waving of an orange flag and the restoration of Donegal's scoreboard advantage, 0-4 to 0-3. They never trailed again for the remainder of the game. The opening period provided snapshots of Murphy's immense value. The winning of the break off a Meath kickout that paved the way for Ryan McHugh's 12th minute point. Nailing the 28th minute free after Oisin Gallen was fouled. Getting on the end of Donegal's last move of the half that unlocked the Meath defence, but seeing his left-foot blast fly over rather than under the crossbar. Murphy was the last Donegal player to jog out of the tunnel to take up position for the start of the second half. He only last nine minutes, but added another score, before being withdrawn. The timing of the exit seemed unusually early, but despite murmurs of an ankle knock, McGuinness was quick to quell such talk. If the focus was to rest up ahead of the final date with Kerry, it was understandable. A couple weeks out from his 36th birthday and 13 years after lifting Sam Maguire as captain, his value to the Donegal cause is simply immense. His array of gifts – fetching kickouts, converting frees, clipping scores from play, directing offensive operations – make him indispensable for Donegal. The addition of Murphy to the attacking mix meant someone else was going to lose out. Once news of his comeback filtered through, the intrigue lay in how Donegal would get the chemistry right in their inside forward line. Patrick McBrearty has been the focal point for years. Oisin Gallen was an All-Star last year and fired 1-2 yesterday. Conor O'Donnell is in the All-Star conversation this year and bettered Gallen's tally with his 1-3 return. There is a dilemma in how to fit them all in. Right now the solution Donegal have settled on is holding McBrearty in reserve. For a forward of his experience and talent, along with the status of captain, it's not an easy position to get accustomed to. He hit the ground running yesterday, emerging from the bench to join a dominant Donegal team. In the 47th minute he snappily exchanged handpasses with Shane O'Donnell, gliding clear before sweetly striking over a point in that familiar kicking style. He replicated that finish for another point seven minutes later, moments after sharply releasing the ball to Peadar Mogan who rushed through to point. McBrearty's third score arrived on 57 at the close of another pacy team move and a minute later he shaped to shoot before laying off to Jason McGee, watched the ball travel to Gallen and in to Conor O'Donnell who booted home their third goal. The impact of McBrearty was glaringly evident and yet will it be persuasive enough to secure him a starting jersey for the final? 'You have three lads who are flying there,' summarised McBrearty afterwards. 'We all have a role in the team and my role at the minute is just coming in off the bench and it's to lift the energy in the lads in the last 15 minutes to blast it out. I came in with 20 or 25 minutes to go and try to move the bus up forward. We all have our roles and trying to get on the ball and getting shots off and just carrying the can. 'It's a big difference than starting the games. I came in a really, really good time today. We had just scored the goal and we had a big wave of momentum and just coming in and trying to work hard.' Related Reads Jack and David have decided that this state of affairs will not do. At all. McBrearty has enough games stockpiled to absorb the wisdom of how roles can change. He started the 2012 final win over Mayo, came on as a sub in the 2014 decider against Kerry and bagged two points. The years since have been frustrating and disappointing. 'When we left here 2014, I didn't think it would be 2024 until we reached our next semi-final. We massively, massively underachieved from '14 to '24 basically, in our eyes. When Jim came back, standards were raised back to where they were and we're just delighted to be back here, but you know they were a barren couple of years. 'We were winning Ulsters, teams were tipping us to go on and win All-Irelands and we couldn't do on the big days. Getting this man back obviously for that and getting back to days like this two weeks is gonna be massive.' There are only two playing survivors now at the disposal of McGuinness from the magical breakthrough Donegal enjoyed in 2012. Whether pressed in from the start or sprung from the bench, Murphy and McBrearty will be pivotal characters again on Sunday week. *****
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ireland concede last-minute try in defeat to Scotland at World Rugby Under-20 Championship
World Rugby Under-20 Championship 9th-place semi-final: Scotland 22 Ireland 21 Say what you like about this Ireland Under-20s group but their recent struggles have not come down to lack of endeavour. Yet for all the desperation to take this game deep, familiar failings reared their head as Scotland scored with the last play of the game to secure a one-point win in Verona. Scotland started much the stronger. Wing Fergus Watson was a carrying menace and when a strike move sent him through a gap, catch-pass skills were all that was required to send Nairn Moncrieff over in the corner. Five minutes later, Scotland were once again exposing Irish errors. Outhalf Matthew Urwin's kick in behind was sensational in terms of both distance and accuracy, landing deep inside the 22. Yet it should never have been allowed to bounce out for a 50/22. Hooker Seb Stephen fell over the line off the resulting maul. Ireland met sloppiness with resilience. One lineout maul came up empty, but a second saw Oisín Minogue barge over to narrow the gap. Or so we thought, the clever transfer from one dummy maul to a real one called back for obstruction. Minogue, though, was instrumental to Ireland's eventual first try, his carry setting up Henry Walker to narrow the gap to three. READ MORE Scotland took just three minutes to extend their lead again, Oliver Duncan scoring as Ireland failed to consolidate. The try gave Scotland a 10-point lead at the break. Ireland players dejected after the loss to Scotland in Verona. Photograph: Sebastiano Pessina/Inpho As the game ticked into the final quarter, the Irish bench had its moment. Scrumhalf Will Wooton made an excellent decision inside the 22, drawing a defender and picking the right pass as fellow replacement Luke McLaughlin benefited under the posts. Momentum secured, Ireland then hit the front. Páidí Farrell was given half a yard by Eoghan Smyth's wide pass. He had to check his run, gathering the ball slightly behind him, but still had the turn of pace to beat the cover. Dan Green's touchline conversion curled beautifully between the uprights. It wasn't enough. Scotland had a last-minute scrum inside the 22. Ireland struggled to deal with one-off forward carriers close to their line all tournament. It proved to be their undoing once more, prop Jake Shearer barging over in the 80th minute. Ireland have one game left to save face in Italy, facing off against Spain in an 11th-place playoff. SCORING SEQUENCE – 6 mins: Moncrieff try, 5-0; 11: Stephen try 10-0; 25: Walker try, Green con 10-7; 28: Duncan try, Urwin con 17-7; Half-time: 17-7; 64: McLaughlin try, Green con 17-14; 69 : Farrell try, Green con 17-21; 80: Shearer try 22-21. IRELAND: Daniel Green; Páidí Farrell, Ciarán Mangan, Eoghan Smyth, Gene O'Leary Kareem; Sam Wisniewski, Clark Logan; Alex Usanov, Henry Walker (capt), Alex Mullan; Mahon Ronan, Conor Kennelly, Michael Foy, Bobby Power, Oisín Minogue. Replacements: Charlie Molony for O'Leary Kareem (3-13 mins, blood); Will Wooton for Logan, Paddy Moore for Usanov (both 35); Billy Corrigan for Kennelly, David Walsh for Minogue (both 52); Luke McLaughlin for Ronan (56); Tom McAllister for Mullan (57); Charlie Molony for Wisniewski (60); Jonny Scott for Smyth (75). SCOTLAND: Jack Brown; Nairn Moncrieff, Johnny Ventisei, Kerr Yule, Fergus Watson; Matthew Urwin, Hector Patterson; Ollie McKenna, Seb Stephen, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty; Dylan Cockburn, Bart Godsell; Oliver Duncan, Freddy Douglas (capt), Reuben Logan. Replacements: Ben White for McKenna, Charlie Moss for Cockburn (both 56 mins); Joe Roberts for Stephen, Mark Fyffe for Godsell (both); Jake Shearer for Blyth-Lafferty (62); Jed Finlay for Moncrieff (68); Noah Cowan for Patterson (73); Godsell for Fyffe (76); Jack Hocking for Urwin (79). Yellow card: Duncan (36 mins). Referee: Filippo Russo.
