10 pointers: Mayo need another towering presence up front with Aidan O’Shea and more...

Seconds out, round two. After last Sunday’s rumbustious draw, never has boxing parlance been more appropriate. So what can we expect this evening? More of the same? Here are 10 pointers:

1. Ciarán Kilkenny may score more than one first-half point

Of the impressive 16 point tally the Castleknock man has clocked up in this year’s championship, all but two of them have come in the first half (0-2 v Longford, 0-4 v Kildare, 0-2 v Westmeath, 0-3 v Fermanagh, 0-3 v Mayo). The rule of thumb for cruciate injury victims is to judge them not on their comeback season but the one after that. But Kilkenny’s string of fine performances demand judgement now.