Westmeath's bid for an historic Bank of Ireland All-Ireland semi-final place reaches the banks of the Rubicon this evening. Last weekend, they showed themselves a better footballing side than neighbours Meath but in the desperate art of survival, tradition held sway.

Concerned by their status as unbackable favourites, Meath's management felt edgy about the drawn match but even that circumspection could hardly have prepared them for the drubbing they received in the opening 20 minutes.

They had reasoned that the Leinster championship meeting would have taught sufficient lessons and if those lessons had them worried, they would be all the more instructive for that. Instead Westmeath were about twice as quick out of the traps as their opponents and with any degree of killer instinct would have closed this quarter-final well before Ollie Murphy performed his now familiar deus ex machina routine.

Are Meath simply not as good as everyone thought or are Westmeath a good deal better? The answer incorporates both points of view. With Trevor Giles's mobility impaired, the Leinster champions are struggling to convince up front. But they have struggled magnificently. Giles retains the best vision of any playmaker in the championship. His ball for Murphy's first goal followed similar roles in Richie Kealy's Leinster final goal and the move that yielded a penalty against Kildare. On the inside line Graham Geraghty and Murphy have been spinning straw into gold.

Centrefield has John McDermott back as a work-in-progress but hasn't imposed himself as expected. Yet it is further back that the cracks have demanded most paper. Presumably Darren Fay won't be codded out the field as easily as he was last Sunday. Mark O'Reilly recovered more than a bit the last day but Cormac Murphy's torturous campaign continued on Des Dolan. There should be changes in today's line-up but it may be more a reshuffle than a new pack.

Donal Curtis could find himself at corner back or alternatively, Hank Traynor, who has under-age experience of the position. Cormac Murphy would then end up in the half backs. Whatever the configuration, it's likely Enda McManus won't start. His lack of match fitness played a role in Westmeath's flying start and it will be very surprising if Meath begin as badly this evening.

Having allowed that, it has to be pointed out that Westmeath have started a number of their matches in a hurry. Here, however, are the critical issues for Luke Dempsey's team: how big a lead will they need before feeling confident they can win; can they cope with having to chase a match if Meath start the better; will their distribution of the ball improve when the team is on the back foot; if the going gets tight, are they capable of maintaining momentum?

Meath should have been beaten the last day. They weren't. When the county survives such ordeals, they invariably improve the following day. Westmeath have the football to win this but what they haven't shown is the lethal focus of, say, Offaly four years ago.

Meath, however, rarely repeat the error of indecision.

The Meath team is expected to be announced shortly before the throw-in.