RTÉ GAA analyst Lee Keegan has said that the opening two weeks of the football championship have reinforced the idea that some teams just seem better suited to blossom inside provincial boundaries.
Roscommon and Monaghan are both into provincial semi-finals after impressive away-day wins over Mayo and Tyrone respectively over the last eight days.
If Monaghan were to win against Derry on 29 April then they'd be into their fifth Ulster final since 2013 and would be chasing their third title in that time-frame.
Roscommon, who face Galway this Sunday [Live on RTÉ2], are aiming for their sixth Connacht final appearance final in the same period and, also, their third Nestor Cup in that time.
Despite both counties’ fine performances in the provincial arena, Monaghan have only reached one All-Ireland semi-final in the last 34 years – a 2018 loss to the Red Hands – while Roscommon haven’t been there since 1991, also losing out by a point with Meath the victors.
"I think what it tells us is that the likes of Monaghan and Roscommon in particular, they thrive in provincial systems. They still have a huge pride within that," Keegan told the RTÉ GAA Podcast
"Roscommon don’t fear Mayo or Galway ever in Connacht. Now I can’t say nationally, when they come across us, we don’t play them too often outside of Connacht, but I know within the province itself they are very proud of their provincial status.
"I wouldn’t say that always cause upsets, but they do cause a stir because they’re always kind of underdogs when their backs are against the wall.
"I didn’t see it [Roscommon beating Mayo] as a massive upset or shock, we all tipped Mayo based on the league form and the way they were playing football. They just looked flat, they got caught by a better Roscommon team.
"I think it’s the same with Monaghan. Monaghan just seem to get to the stage where it’s life or death.
"When their backs are against the wall, and again I’m talking provincial...they came away from the league and another relegation madness day – I don't know how they do it – it’s like they come into the provincial revived and ready to rock again."
Looking specifically at Monaghan's fine win in Omagh on Sunday, Keegan said that while Ryan O’Toole and Conor McManus may have grabbed the headlines, it was Rory Beggan who deserves immense credit for their second-half recovery.
The Scotstown man had a sublime showing after the interval, pushing forward and creating scoring opportunities with fine kick-passing, picking out team-mates with pin-point restarts, catching a Frank Burns effort that appeared to be creeping over the bar in the 59th minute and pulling off a fine save from Ronan McNamee late on.
"I was looking at Monaghan in the first half and it sort of summed up their league form to a degree. Lethargic, flat, kind of out of sorts in how they were going about their attack.
"Even their intensity in the tackle. They’re a very proud team in terms of pressing the team and getting big turnovers, but I have to give Vinny Corey massive credit, I didn’t see that second half coming based on that first-half performance.
"It was either go for broke or kind of stay in the game for long enough and look respectable and Tyrone pull away maybe by five or six points
"But Vinny Corey threw off the shackles, made a couple of changes at half-time.
"I think Rory Beggan played an absolute blinder; I don’t think it’s said enough how good he was.
"Yeah, he got pushed on his kick-outs in the first half and he had a couple of turnovers, that ball for the goal, into [Karl] Gallagher, was beautiful.
"He had another 40-yard kick pass on the right-hand side, 40 yards into the full-forward line. We talk about Armagh and their system and how they play with the keeper, but Monaghan have been doing this a lot longer."
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Watch Waterford v Limerick in the Munster Hurling Championship on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on the RTÉ News app or RTÉ.ie/Sport or listen to live commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch Roscommon v Galway in the Connacht Football Championship semi-final on Sunday from 3.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on the RTÉ News app or RTÉ.ie/Sport or listen to live commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
