FOOTBALL FINAL (2.0)
Cavan v Kerry
MARTIN McHUGH would be entitled to feel more confident than most when giving an account of his stewardship as a football manager.
He has plotted the progress of the Cavan senior teams from Division Three to Division One in successive seasons, and talks about the All Ireland under 21 final against Kerry as part of the building process.
"It gives you a good feeling that things are being done right," says McHugh. He adds: "The under 21s have been training with the seniors. We have been working hard for three nights a week since January.
Over reliance on senior members in tomorrow's team would be a huge mistake and could prove disastrous, according to McHugh. "We must give a balanced all round performance and not be looking to the senior players to do wonders," he says.
McHugh includes four key senior players, neatly distributed through the team. Mick Reilly is at full back, Peter Reilly at centre back, Dermot McCabe in midfield and Jason Reilly at right corner forward. A host of other players have also got some outings with the senior side.
Kerry are the holders of this title, and have nine of last year's winning side. They beat a more convincing path to the final, with huge wins over Waterford, Cork (2-14 to 0-8) and Clare (3-14 to 0-6). Against Galway their standards dropped and they were lucky to survive with a three point win.
Kerry manager Seamus MacGearailt was very impressed by Cavan in the semi final replay against Meath. Not surprisingly, he feels that McCabe in midfield could prove a major problem for his team. McCabe partners Tom Farrelly, and the Cavan pair are poised to have a major say in the outcome despite the presence in the sector of Dara O Se and Willie Kirby.
The Kerry attack, or to be more, precise, the wiles of Dara O Cinneide, the returned Liam Hassett and huge prospect Michael F Russell, can create and finish better than Cavan.
Kerry's injury problems may well be forgotten should this trio hit form. The absence of Charlie McCarthy (broken leg) is a big blow, but Eamonn Fitzmaurice, his replacement against Galway in the semi final, has impressed.
All indications are that Brian Clarke, a goal scorer against Galway, is to be handed the number 14 shirt.
Kerry's potential for a high scoring rate, as seen in the Munster championship, will hardly be allowed to blossom here, but they can bag enough scores to retain the title.
HURLING FINAL (3.30)
Wexford v Galway
THE answering machine in the Wexford County Board offices has been reprogrammed to greet you: "We are the 1996 All Ireland senior hurling champions and are out celebrating . . ."
The hope, within the county is that the amendment ". . . and we are under 21 champions as well", will be in order first thing on Monday morning.
John Conran, the manager of the Wexford under 21 hurling team, is under no illusions about the task ahead for his talented side. "Galway are good. We would have to be at our best to win," he says.
Conran includes four of last Sunday's All Ireland senior squad in his side, wing back Declan Ruth, midfielder Rory McCarthy and attackers Garry Laffan and Paul Codd.
Codd, the under 21 team captain, has been unlucky with injury and missed the two games against Kilkenny and the drawn clash with Offaly. He then played a significant role against Offaly in the replay to help Wexford win their first Leinster title and put them on the road to their first All Ireland under 21 final since 1965.
"The whole county are expecting us to win it," says Conran. "I am suitably confident that we can. Our objective from the outset was to win the Leinster title, anything after that will be a bonus.
Senior manager Liam Griffin was in the winning panel in 1965. So also was Seamus Barron, the current county selector, Dan Quigley and Tony Doran.
In this year's team, Michael Jordon's broken finger is understood to be fully recovered and he has been called up to fill the vacant left corner forward position.
Cyril Farrell's Galway include five established seniors. In addition few managers could boast of having a star goalkeeper and an exceptional score poacher all wrapped up in one.
Eugene Cloonan lines out in goal for the Connacht standard bearers only a week after emerging as top scorer in the drawn Allireland minor final against Tipperary.
In front of the versatile Athenry youngster is a full back line that includes seniors Greg Kennedy and Liam Hodgins.
Cathal Moore mans the centre back position with another hero from last Sunday's minor final, Mick Healy, on his left. Ollie Fahy is poised to celebrate his return to midfield in place of Ollie Canning, and Kevin Broderick will demand special attention in the left corner of the attack.
Laffan and Codd could give Wexford an edge as regards target men, and there are few outfield players around more capable of using good front runners than McCarthy and Ruth.
Still, hype and motivation are big factors in a match of this kind and Wexford may be sufficiently endowed in both areas to carry the day.
Their four matches against Kilkenny and Offaly, before they saw off the challenge of Antrim, give them an edge in match practice that compares with only one outing, against Cork, for Galway.
