Kerry’s overall ability and experience to swing it
However, this would be a flawed judgement, not least the fact that Meath were inferior opposition compared to Dublin. Paul Caffrey’s team not only pushed Kerry to the limit but were close enough to drawing.
The one conclusion to be drawn from their respective games (one more, in Cork’s case) is that the champions came through the bigger tests. Not only were Dublin hugely competitive, but in the quarter-final Monaghan came agonisingly close to winning a game in which Kerry were clearly not at their best after a six-week lay-off following the Munster final.
