Dublin midfielder Denis Bastick is expecting Kerry to come at them all guns blazing to arrest their poor run of results in the fixture when the sides meet in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final.
Unbeaten in the League or Championship, Jim Gavin’s side have swotted aside all would-be challengers with ease and are odds-on favourites to set-up a final date with Mayo on 18 September.
Standing in the way are Kerry (3.30pm, live on RTÉ One), though the rivalry has undergone a transformation in recent seasons.
“The backlash is coming and I’d say it’s coming down the line"
Of the 28 Championship meets, the Kingdom have tasted victory on 17 occasions, but Jim Gavin’s side have dominated since snatching the 2011 All-Ireland with a last-gasp Stephen Cluxton free.
The Dubs are aiming for their fourth successive Championship success over the green and gold and their most recent encounter was a comprehensive 11-point win in the Allianz National Football Final.
Bastick is searching for a third Sam Maguire and despite seeing the Munster champs written off in many quarters, he is expecting a titanic tussle at GAA headquarters.
“While the record might state that we have had the upperhand of late, this game is going to take on a life of its own," he told RTÉ Sport.
“It has a nice ring to it [unbeaten], but unfortunately these streaks have to come to an end at some stage. We don’t want to happen in the next game.
“The run is no good if you come up short in the next game.
“The backlash is coming and I’d say it’s coming down the line. Whether that will be Sunday remains to be seen.
“Hopefully we can match whatever backlash comes.”
The Dublin hoo-doo is one Kerry are keen to address – former player Darragh Ó Sé said earlier this week the danger is that the current crop will be remembered as the ones that couldn’t beat Dublin – and the seeds of the previous wins were very simple according to the Templeogue Synge Street clubman.
“We got our match-ups right and the guys out-performed their individual opponents.”
The reigning champions have eased past Laois, Meath, Westmeath and Donegal, and face a Kerry side who have only accounted for Clare and Tipperary to reach the last four.
The fixture never ceases to capture public imagination and Bastick, in sentiments echoed by his manager, is keen not to draw on the previous wins over the Kingdom.
“The teams have probably changed slightly on both sides, tactics have changed,” the 35-year-old said.
“It’s a case of a new game and whatever happens, we’ll see how the record stands after Sunday."
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