These two teams are itching to escape Connacht. Mayo, who've lorded over the province in recent times but are absentees this time round, are responsible for increasing the expectations within the province sufficiently to allow Galway and Roscommon to face into today's replay in the belief that they should fear no one on the national stage.
We've known for some time that Galway possess the ingredients necessary to collect silverware. Roscomonn's progress has been more stealthy, if no less impressive. All through the winter slog and the springtime, Galway people looked forward expectantly to the summer when dry pitches and calm conditions would, they insisted, suit their nifty and crafty forwards.
Instead, this first day of autumn will - like virtually the entire summer - see teams forced to play on a pitch softened by near-constant rainfall. How the likes of Derek Savage and Declan Meehan (two of the swiftest forwards around) will cope remains to be seen, and Galway's real task is to cut down on the huge number of wides (17 to Roscommon's four) from the drawn game. Roscommon have the benefit of playing more matches in Connacht than any other team: this will be their fourth outing in the championship and, as Waterford hurlers proved last week, there is simply no substitute for match fitness. If they are to win this encounter, though, the onus will be on their forwards to up the ante. In particular, Tommy Grehan and Lorcan Dowd will have to assume responsibility and ensure that Eddie Lohan's deadball artistry isn't the only route to scores.
If Galway have a potential Achilles heel, it is around the middle of the park. Kevin Walsh and Sean O Domhnaill are two big, strong players, but their mobility is questionable and Roscommon will be looking to Gerry Keane and Tom Ryan to establish a grip in this sector from an early stage. As in all replays, there is always the feeling that someone has missed their chance. Roscommon may believe they were hard done by the last day (down to 14 men, but still leading as the clock ticked down), but Galway hadn't played a competitive match for five weeks prior to that game and it will have done them the world of good, not only to get in a match but to be put to the pin of their collar and survive. Galway's forwards can't possibly be as poor for a second game running and it is on that basis that they get the vote to advance into the All-Ireland series.
Galway: M McNamara; T Meehan, G Fahy, T Mannion; R Silke, J Divilly, S Og de Paor; K Walsh, S O Domhnaill; J Fallon, M Donnellan, T Joyce; D Savage, P Joyce, N Finnegan.
Roscommon: D Thompson; D Gavin, D Donlon, E Gavin; C Heneghan, C McDonald, M Ryan; G Keane, T Ryan; D Connellan, F O'Donnell, E Lohan; T Grehan, N Dineen, L Dowd.
