Central to Dublin’s success over the past decade or so has been that there is no such thing as a sure thing, we were repeatedly told.
It wasn’t altogether true, however, if you scanned over the team selection. Yes, there was a significant regeneration of the side from the start of the six-in-a-row run to its end but there were still pillars upon which the team was always going to be built on.
Stephen Cluxton in goal. Jonny Cooper, Jack McCaffrey and James McCarthy were always going to start when fit and available in defence. Brian Fenton, Ciaran Kilkenny and Dean Rock too, among others.
