Preview: Footballing blue-bloods face date with destiny

Possibly not the All-Ireland final pairing that was anticipated - but not exactly a novel one either.

Kerry, impatient for the return of Sam, have been favourites for the 2022 championship since running riot in the Division 1 final back in April.

Galway, after two stuttering years during the pandemic, have come of age in thrilling fashion this summer, returning to the biggest stage for the first time in two decades.

For Kerry, in particular, the pressure is said to be intense but then, generations of Kerry footballers have had a long time to get used to that.

Jack O'Connor was not recalled from Kildare in a hurry to preside over a transitional period or nurture a young crop with a view to winning 'down the line'. He was hired for his proven track record of winning All-Irelands and winning them quickly. The remit was to get back Sam as soon as possible. Today is as soon as possible.

In the glow of victory after the Dublin game, O'Connor was quick to remind the media - and the public by extension - of his bona fides in that regard.

"Maybe I know some of the pitfalls in the build-up. Especially in Kerry - they tend to get a bit carried away," O'Connor said.

"So, I might be able to pass on a bit of advice to, you know, avoid all the noise, the outside noise, and just concentrate on getting a performance. If that's a help, so be it."

For a long time, the counties have been stuck in their own mutual appreciation society. Two counties on the Atlantic seaboard with sizeable Gaeltacht regions and a reputation for free-flowing football, etc, etc.

Notwithstanding the increasingly pragmatic approaches adopted by both teams in recent years, this image apparently still holds. As Barry John Keane said to RTÉ Sport during the week, "When I was a