Dublin manager Jim Gavin has named his team for the opening match of the Leinster SFC championship with the Dubs kicking off their drive for five in Portlaoise against Louth on Saturday evening.
Gavin has opted to leave returning defender Rory O’Carroll out of the starting team with David Byrne, Michael Fitzsimons and Jack McCaffrey starting in the full-back line.
Here's the Dublin Senior Football starting team for this evening's @gaaleinster SFC clash with @louthgaa in Portlaoise#UpTheDubs #DUBvLOU #NothingBeatsTheJourney
🔵🔵🔵 pic.twitter.com/20usYddbYz
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) May 25, 2019
The Dubs failed to make the National League Division 1 final for the first time since 2012 after winning just four of seven league games but defender Johnny Cooper believes they’ll reset for the Leinster Championship.
“You get what you deserve,” Cooper said at the launch of AIG’s new #EffortIsEqual campaign.
“Some of the losses were by very small margins and you reap what you sow I guess. Does it give us a different mindset coming into the championship? Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe individually it does and I think as a team we always park the league, we always have our club break, we always reset for the championship. It’s no different this year.
“Maybe some players feel they need to push on, or that they didn’t play as well or didn’t play enough but I think it breathes into the same value that we collectively have together but certainly the league has given us a good learning and referencing point but that’s all they are.”
