Cork and Dublin face off in a fascinating All-Ireland SFC semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday.
The Rebels have been considered part of a 'Big Three' along with Kerry and Tyrone for the past year or two, but have yet to claim Sam Maguire with the current bunch of players, that despite this being the sixth successive year they have reached the last four.
Kerry have beaten them in either the semi-final or final in all of those seasons but they - and Tyrone, who have shared the last seven Sam Maguire titles with the Kingdom - are out of the equation, and it is Dublin who stand between Conor Counihan's side and a third final in four years.
Cork have chugged their way along this far after failing twice to ram home their advantage against Kerry in the Munster semi-final. They eased to qualifier success over Cavan and Wexford, but did not have to impress in the former and failed to in the latter. A further questionable effort followed when they were taken to extra-time by Limerick and few questions were answered when they beat Roscommon in the quarter-final.
Still, Counihan has a talented and powerful squad at his disposal and, having been the nearly men for so long, they are desperate to get that Sam Maguire that many experts think the team is due this time around.
In Daniel Goulding, they have a match-winner who has been scoring regularly this term, while the likes of Pearse O'Neill in the half forward line and Paudie Kissane in the half back line have been striving determinedly towards their goal all year. Paul Kerrigan and Donncha O'Connor can also turn it on, on their day.
There are big injury problems though. Captain Graham Canty and big young forward Ciaran Sheehan have both been named in the starting XV, but Canty at least is not expected to make it, with dual star Eoin Cadogan set to replace him at centre back. The loss of the vastly experienced and inspirational Canty could potentially be huge, especially with Cadogan's often short fuse a potential target for the Dubs. Alan Brogan and Eoghan O'Gara will likely target this area form the outset, with Michael Shields needing to be very alert behind Canty or Cadogan.
Elsewhere, the roles of Aidan Walsh and the recalled Alan O'Connor will be huge in midfield, where the game could well be won or lost.
Ross McConnell and the promising Michael Darragh McAuley will man the centre station for a Dublin side that has adapted a fresh approach this year with so many new faces in Pat Gilroy's side.
McAuley and full forward O'Gara have perhaps been the most influential, with the latter having bagged four goals to date including one in the sensational win over Tyrone at the quarter-final stage.
That win marked a superb turnaround for the Dubs, who looked dreadful in Leinster when they needed extra-time to beat Wexford - having looked abysmal - and then conceded five goals as Meath ousted them from the provincial semi-final.
But they have come back in positive and impressive fashion, showing improvement in each of their qualifier games against Tipperary, Armagh and Louth and then securing that five-point win over the 2008 All-Ireland winners.
Slightly older than the raft of new faces in the Dublin team - that also includes the likes of Rory O'Carroll, Philly McMahon and Niall Corkery - is Bernard Brogan, the threat-in-chief in the Blues' attack and realistically the only light to have shone for them for the whole season.
In all, he has 2-35 to his name and Rebsls boss Counihan has indicated that special measures may be used by Cork to restrain the prolific front man. If they do that, they will be two thirds of the way to that All-Ireland final return.
O'Carroll will also be important at the back. He has made one or two mistakes in what has been a problem position for the county for many years. Sheehan, if fit, will be a major obstacle for him, while Colm O'Neill could come in and provide a different type of problem.
Cork have the strength and the big game experience - albeit with a lot of bad memories. Much of the Dublin side are free of that, many of them not having played in their losing semi-finals of 2006 and 2007 (to Mayo and Kerry) and that could be a blessing as their fresh faces look to continue a fine run.
However, there is no substitute for experience and Dublin may have to wait a year or two to be in the position Cork are of having earned the right to be favourites for this one.
It could be tight and could be a cracker, but the Rebels - despite looking much flatter than the Dubs over the last few games - look to be the stronger power - for now.
Cork: A Quirke; R Carey, M Shields, J Miskella; N O'Leary, G Canty, P Kissane; A O'Connor, A Walsh; P Kerrigan, P O'Neill, P Kelly; D Goulding, C Sheehan, D O'Connor.
Dublin: S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, R O'Carroll, P McMahon; K Nolan, G Brennan, C O'Sullivan; R McConnell, M Darragh Macauley; N Corkery, A Brogan, B Cullen; D Henry, E O'Gara, B Brogan.
Verdict: Cork