A whole raft of considerations come into the reckoning for this match. Meath's exit won't have enormous immediate relevance for Louth but it must have perked up Kildare. It's unlikely that Mick O'Dwyer's team would have needed the stimulus to beware of Louth, who have twice dumped Kildare in the preliminary rounds. There is, however, the danger that Kildare are jaded after exertions over the years. Last year might have been a free summer, but the team doesn't look particularly enhanced since reaching the All-Ireland final in 1998. Niall Buckley has departed and even if his form had been in decline since 1997, it's hard to imagine the team thriving without a positive contribution from him. The attack suffers from the withdrawal of Martin Lynch to centrefield. Declan Kerrigan was most effective in '98 and his departure is a further blow. Louth are more of a unit than before and are unlikely to repeat last year's disaster against Dublin. Evidence suggests they may struggle up front against a solid defence, so Kildare get a hesitant vote.