Kildare cruise as Royals flounder

So much for the litmus test.

This was supposed to be an evening of discoveries. Were Kildare and Meath finally back close to a level in keeping with past glories? Should Dublin be worried? Was the monotony of the last 10 years in Leinster on the verge of being done away with?

Well, Kildare are through to their first provincial decider in eight years but only after adding this facile nine-point win to an earlier 14-point dismissal of Laois. So, they have journeyed this far without having to reveal anything much about themselves in the process. Not ideal.