Playing the Northern giants: Leinster players explain why they could not cope

Are Armagh and Tyrone about brain or brawn? Ian O'Riordan asks two players who should know.

Getting this far hasn't always been easy or pretty, and yet both Armagh and Tyrone have now proven themselves more than worthy of their place in Sunday's All-Ireland football semi-final.

Having survived the organised chaos that is the Ulster football championship, they've since shown their brighter side - with Armagh giving Laois a lesson in total fitness and skill in their quarter-final, as did Tyrone against Dublin last Saturday.

On both occasions they also debunked the myth that Ulster football is far more dependent on substance than style.

Armagh soon wore down Laois with some of the most memorable football of the summer (think Steven McDonnell), and it was the same with Tyrone against Dublin (think Owen Mulligan).

As the two teams prepare to do battle again on Sunday at Croke Park, and earn the right to challenge Kerry as the best team in the land, those qualities have been recalled by two of their most recent opponents - Laois forward Ross Munnelly and Dublin forward Colin Moran.

In assessing the main strengths of the two teams, both Munnelly and Moran emphasised superior fitness, tactics and even

self-belief - while firmly rejecting the notion of Ulster teams being overly physical or somehow cynically inclined.

Ross Munnelly (Laois)

On Armagh's main strengths: "We definitely went in there thinking we'd match Armagh in terms of fitness and pace, and that we should be able to carve Armagh apart. To be honest, I think we did for 15 or 20 minutes, and actually went three points ahead. But from then on we did run out of steam a little bit.

"I've looked back on the video a few times since, and as painful as that's been I think Armagh did just steamroll us with their fitness. A lot of people talked about Armagh's strength and their ability to push lads off the ball, but that wasn't even the case with us because for a while they couldn't get a hand on us. But they just kept going and going, and at the end of the match our lads were totally out on their feet.

"We just weren't able to match their runs over the 70 minutes, or pick up their loose men around the middle of the field. So I would have to say their greatest strength is their fitness. We felt our fitness was our biggest plus, but when the chips were down, and the Armagh team started going hell for leather, they totally neutralised us with their off-the-ball running and their support play, and in the end delivered a crushing defeat to Laois."

On why Laois couldn't cope: "I wouldn't say they are two steps ahead of us. I think belief-wise as well they have an edge, and that's mostly because they have been on the road for the past six or seven years.

"They've built up this fitness that is going to take other counties three or four years to match. If you do your nine months' training and mind yourself over the winter you're always adding to your level of fitness, and I think that's been the key for Armagh. They've been involved up until the end of the championship for four or five years now, and credit to them for their commitment and their desire to keep building on that. So each year they have a launch pad to build off.

"But I'd be anxious to point out too that against Armagh this year, and Tyrone last year, we would have no complaints at all about any cynical play or off-the-ball fouling. They've both beaten Laois at their own game, and took us apart with quality football."

On closing the gap next year: "I think the teams that are looking to challenge Armagh and Tyrone will have to look at building a level of fitness that will hold up for the full 70 minutes. I don't think it's about Ulster football. Any of the criticism they get only really comes when they play other Ulster teams. But they've shown when they come down to Croke Park and play non-Ulster teams they are capable of top-class football.

"We're still a young team and Joe Kernan spoke to us after that match and said we were at the stage they were in 1999 and 2000, and we took heart from that. But, of course, it's not good enough just to hear that, and we know there'll come a time when we will have to go out and prove that we are pushing on to another level like they did, and that's going to take an awful lot of work."

Colin Moran (Dublin)

On Tyrone's main strengths: "Their work is phenomenal, all over the park. Even though we were probably dominant at midfield over the course of the two games, I think Tyrone's ability to get so many men behind the ball definitely limited our ability to create scoring chances.

"If they get a lead on you then you really do struggle, because once they put men behind the ball like that, and you press forward to chase the game, you are liable to be caught on the counter-attack. But we've seen as well how lethal their inside forward line is, and if they get the quality ball then they're going to cause havoc.

"And they've so much pace. They can move the ball up the field so quickly, especially on the counter-attack. With wing forwards like Seán Kavanagh and Brian Dooher they are able to utilise that tactic so well. But their half backs are so strong that when the opposition attack breaks down they can break out so quickly.

On why Dublin couldn't cope: "You do hear a lot of talk about their physical strength. But if you looked around the park last Saturday you wouldn't have seen too many big Tyrone players, and they certainly weren't the biggest team we played this year. They wouldn't even have big midfielders. Even Chris Lawn, their full back, wouldn't be the tallest. So while the perception is still about their physical strength, I would say they are much more mobile than physical.

"They are very tenacious in the tackle, and they do hunt in backs. So if you have a slow build-up you will definitely be in trouble. I think the speed at which they break at is their biggest attribute.

"But I wouldn't describe their style as cynical at all. I'd just say they are very cute. They obviously realised that they weren't competing with us at catching clean ball at midfield. There were a few occasions when Ciarán Whelan plucked some great balls out of the sky, and Darren Magee as well, but once they came back to ground they were surrounded by Tyrone players, and ended up getting dispossessed."

On closing the gap next year: "I don't think the gap between ourselves and Tyrone is as big as seven points. But there is a gap there, and something we have to work towards closing. Maybe we need a few more players, and maybe better cover on the line. We'd a couple of injuries the last day and that hammered home how important it is to have a strong bench.

"They are very tactically aware, and play very well together as a team. The way they hunt in packs when they're defending means we'd a few occasions where players were isolated, and inevitably lost the ball. But in the two games Tyrone played against us you would have to say they were quite entertaining and there wasn't a bad, cynical blow in either game.

"But the spirit of our team has been outstanding this year and I think the experience of playing the top-quality teams like Tyrone will stand to us next year."