Armagh v Tyrone
It's appropriate that Armagh and Tyrone have taken the Ulster final to Croke Park again. In a sense, these two teams are responsible for the unprecedented popularity of Gaelic football in the province.

The sheer intensity of the Ulster championship has caused it to outgrow its own borders, making it of national interest.

In the predictions for Sam Maguire, both teams are continually being mentioned alongside Kerry so the outcome will give a lot of information on the midsummer state of affairs. No matter what happens tomorrow, these two teams are going to have a huge say in the eventual destination of the All-Ireland title.

Armagh have been the most consistent performers over the last few months, easily winning the league against Wexford, and despite the slight hiccup against Donegal in the drawn game they have shown a great hunger and surprising freshness. It belies the fact that most of this team have been on the go for seven or eight years.

The reason for this freshness seems to be the renewed energy of Kieran McGeeney and Oisín McConville. This is complemented by the return to form of Ronan Clarke at full forward and the infusion of new blood in the persons of Aaron Kernan, Andy Mallon and Brian Mallon.

Joe Kernan has done a good job with the introduction of fresh feet - it keeps the older lads focused.

Tyrone have followed a similar path, although they have only regrouped since the start of the championship. The key to that has been the return to form of the magical Peter Canavan coupled with Brian McGuigan's arrival home from Australia.

Canavan kicked 1-7 against Cavan and McGuigan was back making the forward lines tick - their huge impact seemed to overshadow the 1-5 Stephen O'Neill contributed.

Overall, while Tyrone forwards are in more potent form there are weaknesses in defence. Certain questions arise, like how Chris Lawn and Shane Sweeney will cope with Clarke and Steven McDonnell.

The other intriguing battle, which will be worth the admission price alone, will be McGeeney against McGuigan. Unlike in previous years, McGeeney is man-marking the opposing playmaker. He did it effectively against Ciarán McDonald in the league semi-final and again with Matty Forde in the final. McGeeney must nullify his effectiveness.

Armagh seem so disciplined that they can impose their game-plan on anyone. They also use the player-rotation system well. Tomorrow, Tony McEntee is in for his twin brother, John, and John Toal replaces Philip Loughran. It doesn't matter who comes in or out as it is the same system, with one of the midfielders dropping back to cover the full-back line.

They are so methodical that they can shut out the threat of Tyrone's forwards and edge an enthralling contest.