RTÉ GAA analysts Ciarán Whelan and Tomás Ó Sé have said that Meath's fearlessness gives them a chance of causing a major shock in Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Donegal.
Despite clocking up championship wins over Division 1 sides Kerry, Galway and Dublin this season, the Royals are big underdogs to reach a Sam Maguire decider for the first time since 2001.
For Kerryman Ó Sé, any chance of an upset will depend on early oxygen bottled in the higher altitude that Croke Park basks in at this stage of the championship.
"They (Donegal) will not want Meath to get an early foothold," Ó Sé told the RTÉ GAA podcast.
"Meath have absolutely nothing to lose, they play without fear, they defend as well as any of the last four defend; they’re aggressive, they have their man-to-man markers, but they also defend collectively really, really aggressively.
"They will kick the ball if they can, they also have runners and they will shoot and be very direct."
Ó Sé remains bemused at how rapid Meath’s progress has been in the championship arena under Robbie Brennan.
Three losses from seven Division 2 games didn’t point to anything special, and the mid-season exits of coaches Joe McMahon and Martin Corey – along with a significant injury list – kept them out of any All-Ireland contender chat.
"I tried to figure out during the week, I don’t know what’s gone on in Meath the last number of years," said Ó Sé.
"How can they suddenly be properly and really deserving of being in an All-Ireland semi-final.
"Everyone has been judging Meath on the last number of years and what’s been there for the last number of years there has been nothing in terms of what we’re seeing right now."
Whelan, of course, enjoyed many bruising battles with much more acclaimed Royal sides in his own days lining out for Dublin, but he’s seeing some old Meath spark in the current bunch.
"I really see an imprint of the old Meath in them," he said.
"Their attitude defensively, their intensity in the tackle, their work-rate, their cover for each other...in midfield they're actually going up using the first, punching the ball, breaking it back in the direction of the opposition half and winning breaks, something we really haven’t seen in the game for a good few years."
Watch the Tailteann Cup final, Limerick v Kildare, on Saturday from 2.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship semi-finals with RTÉ Sport. Kerry v Tyrone on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Meath v Donegal on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow live blogs on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentaries on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 10.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast on the RTÉ Radio Player, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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