All-Ireland SFC Quarter-Finals

Saturday, July 1

Kerry v Tyrone, Croke Park, 3.45pm (GAAGO)

Ref: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)

The two week-break since the All-Ireland SFC group phase has enabled Kerry to name a full-strength team for Saturday’s quarter-final against Tyrone.

Both Paul Geaney and Gavin White have recovered from injury and come in for Mike Breen and Tony Brosnan.

Tyrone have unsurprisingly kept faith with the team that stormed to a very impressive eight-point victory in the preliminary quarter-finals against Donegal.

The Ulster side have traditionally got their match-ups spot on against Kerry, and that will be the key to this game again.

If Ronan McNamee and Conor Meyler can rein in David and Paudie Clifford, then the Red Hand County are in with a great chance.

It looks like their own forwards have hit form at the perfect time of the season, with Darragh and Ruairi Canavan, Matthew Donnelly, and Darren McCurry all impressing against Donegal.

Kerry have had the benefit of an extra week’s rest, though, and you can be sure will also be fired up by the memory of their 2021 All-Ireland SFC semi-final defeat to Tyrone.

These two counties always serve up seriously intense matches, and we can expect more of the same here.

KERRY: Shane Ryan; Graham O'Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; Diarmuid O'Connor, Jack Barry; Dara Moynihan, Sean O'Shea, Adrian Spillane; Paudie Clifford, David Clifford, Paul Geaney. Subs: Shane Murphy, Tony Brosnan, Mike Breen, Brian Ó Beaglaíoch, Barry Dan O'Sullivan, Ruairi Murphy, Micheál Burns, Stephen O'Brien, Donal O'Sullivan, Dylan Casey, Sean O'Brien.

TYRONE: Niall Morgan; Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee, Pádraig Hampsey; Cormac Quinn, Michael O’Neill, Peter Harte; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Conor Meyler, Ruari Canavan, Kieran McGeary; Darren McCurry, Matthew Donnelly, Darragh Canavan. Subs: Lorcan Quinn, Frank Burns, Aidan Clarke, Niall Devlin, Richard Donnelly, Niall Kelly, Nathan McCarron, Cathal McShane, Sean O'Donnell, Joe Oguz, Niall Sludden

Armagh v Monaghan, Croke Park, 6pm (GAAGO)

Ref: Conor Lane (Cork)

Rian O’Neill returns from suspension and to take his place in a strong looking Armagh attack.

He’s an indirect replacement for Ciaran Higgins who drops out of the panel. Other than that, it’s the same starting XV that defeated Galway in the group phase.

Monaghan have made just one change to the team that defeated Kildare last weekend, with Ryan Wylie coming in as an indirect replacement for Darren Hughes who drops to the bench.

Just two points separated these teams when they met in the League, and another tight encounter is expected here.

Monaghan had a very tough game against Kildare last weekend, whereas Armagh had a rest weekend which could be a factor.

The Orchard County also arguably have a greater range of attacking threats than Monaghan, particularly with Rian O'Neill back in harness.

ARMAGH: Ethan Rafferty; Paddy Burns, Aaron McKay, Aidan Forker; Conor O'Neill, Greg McCabe, Callum Cumiskey; Ciaran Mackin, Ben Crealey; Jason Duffy, Rory Grugan, Stefan Campbell; Conor Turbitt, Rian O'Neill, Andrew Murnin. Subs: Shea Magill, Joe McElroy, Jemar Hall, Justin Kieran, Oisin Conaty, Shane McPartlan, Barry McCambridge, Ross McQuillan, Jarly Óg Burns, Connaire Mackin, Tiernan Kelly

MONAGHAN: Rory Beggan; Ryan O'Toole, Kieran Duffy, Ryan Wylie; Karl O'Connell, Conor Boyle, Conor McCarthy; Karl Gallagher, Killian Lavelle; Stephen O’Hanlon, Michael Bannigan, Ryan McAnespie; Jack McCarron, Gary Mohan, Dessie Ward. Subs: Darren McDonnell, Kieran Hughes, Conor McManus, Sean Jones, Darren Hughes, Shane Carey, Kevin Loughran, Fintan Kelly, Darragh McElearney, Francie Hughes, Colm Lennon.

Sunday, July 2

All-Ireland SFC Quarter-Finals

Derry v Cork, Croke Park, 1.45pm (RTE)

Ref: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)

Kevin O’Donovan has been rewarded for his match-winning point against Roscommon in the preliminary quarter-final by being given a starting position at wing-back for Cork in Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Derry.

O’Donovan came in for Maurice Shanley that day, but this time replaces Luke Fahy who sustained an ankle injury against Roscommon and isn’t fit for inclusion in the panel.

Brian Hurley missed that win over Roscommon with an ankle injury of his own, but has been deemed fit enough to take a place on the bench for this game.

Derry have been boosted by the return of key defender, Chrissy McKaigue, who didn’t play in their final group phase match against Clare.

He slots back into the Oak Leaf county’s full-back line in what’s by now a very settled looking Derry team.

The fact that by now the back to back Ulster champions are so seasoned in terms of their team selection and tactics could give them an edge against a Cork team that’s still in something of a building phase.

The Rebels have great momentum, but the win over Roscommon was an attritional battle so they might struggle to match the energy levels of a Derry team that have had a two week break.

CORK: Míchéal Aodh Martin; Maurice Shanley, Rory Maguire, Tommy Walsh; Kevin O'Donovan, Daniel OMahony, Matty Taylor; Colm O'Callaghan, Ian Maguire; Brian O'Driscoll, Ruairi Deane, Killian O'Hanlon; Sean Powter, Steven Sherlock, Eoghan McSweeney. Subs: Patrick Doyle, Cian Kiely, Tom Clancy, Darragh Cashman, Paul Walsh, Chris Óg Jones, Conor Corbett, John O'Rourke, Mark Cronin, Brian Hurley, Fionn Herlihy.

DERRY: Odhran Lynch; Christopher McKaigue, Eoghan McEvoy, Conor McCluskey; Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless, Padraig McGrogan; Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers; Benny Heron, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty; Ciaran McFaul, Shane McGuigan, Niall Loughlin. Subs: Thomas Mallon, Declan Cassidy, Niall Toner, Shea Downey, Lachlan Murray, Ben McCarron, Paul McNeil, Padraig Cassidy, Conleth McGuckian, Mark Doherty, Diarmuid Baker

Dublin v Mayo, Croke Park, 4pm (RTE)

Ref: David Gough (Meath)

Jack McCaffrey is the big-name inclusion in the Dublin team for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC Quarter-Final against Mayo.

The 2015 Footballer of the Year hasn’t featured in the Championship since being forced off after 32 minutes in the Leinster SFC Final victory over Louth.

He comes into a strong looking team in place of Eoin Murchan who drops to the bench.

Sean Bugler was a doubt for this game after picking up what looked like a hamstring injury in Dublin’s last match against Sligo, but is named in the XV.

It’s surely the strongest match-day panel that Dublin have been able to name yet this year, with players of the calibre of Murchan, Paul Mannion, Cormac Costello, Davy Byrne, and Den Rock all ready to be sprung from the bench.

Mayo, meanwhile, have made two changes to the team that beat Galway in the preliminary quarter-final as Matthew Ruane comes in for James Carney, and Same Callinan makes way for Padraig O’Hara who missed that Galway game with illness.

Callinan impressed in a man-marking role on Shane Walsh against the Tribesmen, so don’t be surprised if there’s a change or two to the named Mayo team before throw-in.

Mayo have also named a strong-looking bench where the presence of a fit-again Cillian O’Connor is particularly notable.

Matches between these two teams tend to usually go down to the wire and are ultimately decided by the relative impact both sets of substitutes make.

Expect a similar story on Sunday.

DUBLIN: Stephen Cluxton; Daire Newcombe, Michael Fitzsimons, Lee Gannon; James McCarthy, John Small, Jack McCaffrey; Brian Fenton, Brian Howard; Ciaran Kilkenny, Seán Bugler, Niall Scully; Paddy Small, Con O'Callaghan, Colm Basquel. Subs: Evan Comerford, David Byrne, Cormac Costello, Craig Dias, Tom Lahiff, Seán MacMahon, Paul Mannion, Eoin Murchan, Cian Murphy, Lorcan O'Dell, Dean Rock

MAYO: Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, David McBrien, Pádraig O’Hora; Paddy Durcan, Stephen Coen, Eoghan McLaughlin; Matthew Ruane, Diarmuid O’Connor; Jason Doherty, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn; Aidan O'Shea, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O'Donoghue. Subs: Rory Byrne, Sam Callinan, James Carr, Enda Hession, Conor Loftus, Fionn McDonagh, Darren McHale, Donnacha McHugh, Kevin McLoughlin, Cillian O’Connor, Bob Tuohy.