Black becomes white in April, but semis are painted in shades of grey

There is everything to play for now but you’ll probably be able to tell from the warm-ups in Nowlan Park and the Gaelic Grounds who is up for this the most, writes Anthony Daly. 

A week after Dublin defeated Limerick in the Division 1B final in 2013 (under the old system where the top two played a ‘winner take all’ decider), we took off to Bere Island for a training camp.

The army boys down there tortured our lads with punishment runs and a commando regime that the US Navy Seals would struggle to get through. That hardening of lads’ minds and bodies was another staging post en route to the Dubs winning a first Leinster title in 52 years later that summer. Yet when Tipperary annihilated us in the league semi-final a week after that camp, most critics were lining up to tell me I was mad.