The Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup Final is down for decision on Wednesday night, as UL and UCC face off for the biggest prize in third-level gaelic football.
It is the second time the two teams will meet this year, after UL prevailed in the first round of the competition. The all-Munster affair promises to be a cracker, with inter-county stars in both camps.
Who are the key players?
Cathail O'Mahony (UCC)
The Mitchelstown and Cork sharp-shooter is developing into a capable marksman at the top level.
He has been heralded as one of the top prospects about ever since his man-of-the-match display in the 2019 U20 All-Ireland final.
Sharing the free-taking duties with Mark Cronin and Dylan Geaney throughout this Sigerson campaign, he has led the line for the Mardyke outfit.
After a winter of hurling with Ballygiblin, helping the North Cork club to the All-Ireland Junior Championship title, O'Mahony's displays for UCC will have caught the eye of Rebels boss John Cleary. And he will be bidding for another big performance in the decider.
Eoghan McLaughlin (UL)
The Mayo flyer is widely regarded as one of the fastest players in gaelic football, and he showed that pace with his stunning goal against DCU in last week's semi-final.
Great performance by the Mayo players for UL this evening and what a brilliant goal by Eoghan McLaughlin.💪@westportgaa #Mayogaa pic.twitter.com/Br28Ngq8An
— Mayo GAA (@MayoGAA) February 8, 2023
A former All-Ireland Junior cyclist, McLaughlin boasts lethal athleticism and it is no wonder that he was fast-tracked into the Mayo senior side by James Horan in recent years.
The epitome of a modern attacking half-back, McLaughlin is a player capable of hurting the opposition with bursting runs forward.
Eoghan McLaughlin of University of Limerick celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Electric Ireland HE GAA Sigerson Cup Semi-Final match between UL and DCU Dochas Éireann at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Is there anybody else to watch out for?
Yes, plenty.
2022 Young Footballer of the Year Jack Glynn anchors the UL defence, sitting in front of fellow Galway man Conor Flaherty who is in goals. Incidentally, the duo are house-mates, along with inter-county hurlers Michael Kiely, Mark Rodgers and Seán Twomey.
Ronaldinho's favourite Irishman, Paul Walsh is another on the UL panel. Brosna man Walsh played a key role for the Kerry minors in their run to the 2018 All-Ireland title.
The UCC team draws from Munster football's traditional heartlands, with the entire starting XV in the semi-final hailing from either Cork or Kerry.
Dylan Geaney is one of the many exciting young forwards coming out of the Kingdom, having led the line for the county's U20s last summer. Rebels forward Mark Cronin is another capable attacker, who helped Nemo Rangers to county glory in 2022.
The Managers
Billy Morgan (UCC)
The grand master of gaelic football on Lee-side, Nemo Rangers club man Billy Morgan has been there and done it all.
Having won every honour in the game for club and county, his third-level credentials aren't too bad either.
Morgan won the Sigerson Cup with the 'Skull and Crossbones' twice as a player and three times as a manager.
At 78 years young, he will be gunning to add to that tally with UCC on Wednesday.
Morgan boasts one of the most decorated CVs in the GAA.
Declan Brouder (UL)
The less experienced of the two, Brouder has worked with Limerick underage teams in the past. Having guided UL to last year's final where they fell to NUIG, Brouder deserves credit for bringing the team back to the decider, given the profile of players which they lost in the wake of 2022, including a certain David Clifford.
He will be hoping to steer the college one step further this term, as UL bid for their first-ever Sigerson triumph.
How did they get to the final?
UCC certainly cannot be accused of getting an easy path to the decider.
They fell to Wednesday's opponents in the first round, 2-7 to 0-10. They regrouped with a 1-12 to 0-8 win over ATU Galway, before coming through not one but two penalty shootouts against Ulster opposition.
They edged Queen's University Belfast 7-6 in the tie-breaker, before a 3-2 win over St Mary's at the quarter-final stage.
There was no such drama at the penultimate stage, as they saw off TU Dublin, 1-12 to 0-13.
After their opening win, UL lost to TUD on penalties. They firmly got back on track by beating SETU Carlow, 4-10 to 1-4, before exacting revenge on last year's champions University of Galway after extra-time, 1-15 to 2-10.
They took care of business in the last four, with a 3-12 to 0-12 victory against DCU.
How can I watch it?
The game is live on TG4, with coverage from SETU Waterford getting underway at 7:20pm.
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