Our focus is purely on the Quarter-Final: Diarmuid Connolly

Wed, 20th July 2016

Retaining Sam Maguire is considered something of a Mission Impossible in the modern game - certainly the statistics back up that theory.

Kerry in 2006/07 were the last county to successfully secure back-to-back All-Ireland SFC titles while that last time Dublin achieved it was in 1976/77.

However, Dublin forward Diarmuid Connolly says his team are going to "attack this Sam Maguire" as they begin preparations for their All-Ireland quarter-final on Saturday, August 6.

The St Vincent's man says Jim Gavin's side, however, are not scanning the historical record books for comparisons with teams of the past but rather focusing on the here and now as the race for Sam moves up a couple of gears.

"I don't think we'll realise if we're a great team until it's all over. At the moment we're just focussing on the quarter-final.

"I know there's a lot of talk about it (back-to-back All-Irelands). Someone asked me earlier on (about being) defending champions. We're defending nothing. We're going out to win a quarter-final and hopefully move onto a semi.

"That's where we're at. We’re going to attack this Sam Maguire.

"You have to focus on what's in front of you and not look into the past or look too far into the future – or else you take your eye off the ball."