The latest puzzle easily solved by smart Dubs

In a recent interview, Irish Mixed Martial Arts coach John Kavanagh spoke about how in preparation for fights he asks his fighters to view each opponent as faceless, approach them with no emotion and treat them as a puzzle of movement that needs to be solved.

In Croke Park on Saturday night, it was the first time in championship a Dublin team coached by Jim Gavin had faced a defensive system which was based on getting men behind the ball and compacting the space for the Dublin forwards. For 24 minutes it appeared Monaghan’s plan was working, the scoreboard read three points apiece and the Leinster champions were yet to score from play.

Dublin had averaged 29 points per game in their provincial campaign but this was a different puzzle than anything they had faced and they had to work out the solution. From the start Dublin had pushed right up and stayed true to their man on man philosophy. At times this resulted in up to 25 players in the Monaghan half with the likes of Jonny Cooper and James McCarthy being as advanced as the Dublin forwards.