AFTER taking three huge scalps, Ciarán Caulfield hopes the Royal treatment can be given to another pretender to the All-Ireland SFC throne.
Having ended Dublin’s 14-year reign of Leinster supremacy, monumental wins over Kerry and Galway have sent Meath into the last four of the Sam Maguire race for the first time since 2009.
And ahead of Sunday’s clash with Donegal, wing-back Caulfield said: “Obviously they’re the big teams, if you want to call them that, but you probably do need those big wins over some of those teams just for yourself to know you can compete at this level.
“Once we got one or two of them, I think even just the way we were training and stuff, it really brings it on. Once you’re competing at that level, you’re not going to fear anyone.
“It’ll be the same at the weekend. Obviously another big team coming down and we’ll just do our same preparation as usual and go into the game looking to compete again.”
In his first season as boss, Robbie Brennan has Royals supporters dreaming of a crowning glory.
But Caulfield is also full of praise for predecessor Colm O’Rourke, who handed him his senior debut in the 2023 Tailteann Cup group-stage win over Down.
He said: “When Colm came in, the squad probably changed a bit personnel-wise. A few younger players came in.
“I’d be very grateful to Colm to get that chance to go in at that time. If I asked any of the lads, they’d say the same.
“But the lads that came in at that time, you’re probably looking to them now and for the next few years. It had to start somewhere and Colm did start that in fairness.”
TAXING YEAR
O’Rourke, who took the reins ahead of the 2023 season, felt the quest to bring Meath back into contention for top honours required a five-year strategy.
Given that they are now one win away from a first All-Ireland final since 2001, Brennan’s side appear ahead of schedule.
Caulfield said: “That’s probably the outside narrative. But inside, we knew if we could get going it probably wouldn’t be as long. I think this year the lads had that extra year under their belt.
“We probably just thought it was time to kick on and particularly with the new rules, it was maybe a bit more of an even playing field.
“Everyone’s trying to get up to speed with them so we thought if we could get up to speed, then you’d be there or thereabouts.
“Four or five years, it’s probably been a bit quicker but that’s as it is now. We believe this year was just kind of time.”
Set to start his 22nd game of 2025 this weekend, it has already been a taxing year for 21-year-old Caulfield.
But the man who captained DCU to Sigerson Cup glory in February said: “The lads are great with the set-up.
“They keep monitoring whatever you’re doing. Even throughout college and during the league when there were two games in a week, they made sure that you weren’t doing too much in between with training, but enough that when it gets to this time of the year.
“You’ve kept up a certain fitness base that you’re not going to be getting too many niggles.
“In fairness, I’ve been lucky enough now that I haven’t picked up anything too major so hopefully it stays that way.”
