Galway v Mayo: Contrarians could complain that the Connacht final is no use. Once again it boils down to the usual duel, with the minor lights of Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo not quite strong enough to shove either Galway or Mayo aside.

Winning this match tomorrow will teach neither county very much as there has been increasing evidence over the last five years that familiarity between Galway and Mayo is breeding mutual contempt. And yet somehow, there is great anticipation that this latest West of Ireland final will be a firecracker.

The surprisingly volatile and mouthy league semi-final gives this encounter its reference point.

Galway won handsomely that day with an attacking performance of such substance and ease it has yet to be bettered this season. Right there and then they made a convincing argument that they were genuine All-Ireland contenders.

The problem is they have not reproduced that flow since. They have arguably regressed since their April meeting with Mayo because of the unfortunate injury to Paul Clancy, a player who is as much the glue to this generation of Galway players as Kevin Walsh was to the last. Without the Moycullen man's name, the team-sheet remains full of glittering names but has a more lightweight look to it.

The decision to demote Kieran Fitzgerald came as a surprise but it speaks more about Peter Ford's vote of confidence for Michael Comer, reportedly in the form of his life, than a sudden crisis of faith in Fitzgerald. And on what promises to be another broiling afternoon, Fitzgerald greatly enhances the Galway bench.

Galway will wait until the 11th hour to see if veteran Derek Savage is fit to take his place in the half-forward line. The performance of that unit is key to the maroon team as Mickey Moran's Mayo attack with abandon through Peadar Gardiner and the placing of David Heaney gives the captain licence to roam as well. Michael Donnellan has been putting in a lion-hearted effort for Galway this year and there is a real feeling that the glory-years gang are going full steam in the last hope of another All-Ireland.

Galway's tale-of-two-halves display against Roscommon carried echoes of their implosion against Cork in last year's All-Ireland semi-final, and if they are to do anything this year, they need to prove they can play for 70 minutes tomorrow afternoon. But they have plenty of good ball players and athletes and a peerless full-forward line.

Mayo have hardly impressed of late but they have, without question, been fixating on this date.

Conor Mortimer will relish the bumper crowd and sunshine with his brother Trevor primed to make an entrance when the temperature soars. Fans of Ger Brady will be relieved the powerful centre forward has been retained with Ciarán McDonald, the shaman of the Mayo game, again lining out at what could yet be his most productive position, full forward.

The Ronan McGarrity/Pat Harte midfield pairing deepens the Ballina influence on Mayo's midfield and they should win enough ball for McDonald and company to work with. It will be interesting to see if Mayo attempt to return the hard hits they received last April. If so, it will probably distract them more than Galway.

There is a strong temptation to cast Mayo as the victors in this latest instalment, particularly given the absence of Clancy. Mayo could really use the achievement of a provincial championship to give them a push into the All-Ireland quarter- finals. But Galway will be determined to yield no ground.

Because of that, this rivalry should carry on in the same vein as in April and Galway look better able to take the rough with the smooth.

GALWAY: B O'Donoghue; A Burke, F Hanley, D Burke; D Meehan, D Blake, M Comer; N Coleman, M Donnellan; M Clancy, AN Other, J Bergin; M Meehan, P Joyce, S Armstrong.

MAYO: J Healy; D Geraghty, L O'Malley, K Higgins; D Heaney, J Nallen, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, P Harte; BJ Padden, G Brady, A Dillon; C Mortimer, C McDonald, A Moran.