MANY of the GAA clubs in Carlow are putting the first plans for training in 2012 together at this time of year, but one club are still in the white heat of championship and for Mount Leinster Rangers an All-ireland final beckons this Saturday night, in a floodlit Croke Park.

Interviewing Paul Coady after the Rangers played Naomh Brid early in the county championship the 19 year old having just made his debut was adamant about one thing.

"There's not just a few brothers on this team there's 15 or 20, we're a very close bunch". They were strong words for a young man having just played his first Senior hurling game and scoring six points but by the time they defeated Celbridge in the Leinster final he reiterated the same point and his actual brother Richard, backed him up.

Saturday is set to be a huge day, considering the crowds that have attended the Rangers games in Kilkenny, Newbridge and Parnell Park there's a good chance that the entire town of Borris will take seats in Croker.

Reaching an All-ireland final is a wonderful achievement and is the pinnacle for any club but this is a special team and with good people working behind the scenes. Christy Kealy, Eddie Byrne, Mag Byrne to name but a few but the team itself is backboned by families and especially brothers.

They face a huge challenge in Middletown of Armagh, they supplied 11 county players to the Armagh setup in 2011 but with only three hurling teams in the county it makes their taking part in this final even more special while at the same time giving them much less game time. Keep an eye on the Gaffney's, Mckernan, Moen and Hughes who have been tipped to star for the northerners along with Armagh star Cathal Carville.

MLR will not admit it but having beaten the Kilkenny champions, come out on top of a decent Celbridge tie and battled like soldiers against Robert Emmets, they couldn't be better prepared for a final.

With most teams you can say as long as the big guns perform they can do it but the truth is that Rangers have a whole panel of big guns. Captain Karol Lawlor is a corner back of the highest quality and likewise his full back line partners of Gary Kelly and Brian Nolan, add in all the usuals, James Hickey, the Coady's, Eddie Byrne and two men called Denis Murphy and Hugh Paddy O'byrne and you just can't pick out weaknesses in this side.

Denis Murphy is shining the brightest light for the GAA. An amateur organisation relies on volunteers and players giving huge commitment and this year few people will have shown more commitment than the danger man Murphy.

Being a student in Glasgow hasn't hindered his hurling progress this year and you have to applaud the effort, the expense and the total commitment of the man to his club and his team. A lot will go through him on Saturday. Middletown will have their homework done and will probably set out to stop him. Doing so, could well free up Hugh Paddy or John Coady to do the damage.

When it comes to predicting a winner we will naturally stick with the Carlow side but for good reason.

They've played more hurling, they've played better hurling and they know how to win. If Middletown make it a dogfight the Rangers will triumph, there are few teams who can live with their intensity and tenacity.

With any luck the title will come back down the motorway and rest with the Rangers. Verdict:mlr by two points.

Keenan's of Borris employ a large number of the Rangers players and that fact shows how much of a close nit community the club has in the south of the county.

One thing is for sure, a Rangers win will see no cows milked, and no factory opened for at least a week in Borris!

- BRIAN O'DONOGHUE Sports Reporter