Rory Grugan says Armagh’s back-to-back Championship victories over Tyrone and Donegal are vindication for the hard work of Kieran McGeeney and his management team.
The Ulster double is a huge boost to McGeeney and his side as they prepare for their first All-Ireland quarter-final since 2017, and the second of his eight-year tenure.
Grugan (31) says he was never as sick leaving a game as he was after the Ulster quarter-final defeat by Donegal seven weeks ago.
Read more: Kieran Donaghy hails Rian O'Neill's return to form as Armagh surge past Donegal
This brought fresh doubts about Armagh’s mentality when it came to Championship football, after two big seasons in Division 1 and some impressive displays along the way.
However, they regrouped to knock All-Ireland champions Tyrone out of the Championship at the Athletic Grounds before going to Clones last Sunday and avenging the Donegal defeat with a 10-point victory.
Armagh now have just under a fortnight to get ready for an eagerly-anticipated All-Ireland quarter-final encounter with Galway at Croke Park.
“A lot can change in seven weeks,” said Grugan, who delivered a personal masterclass last weekend, shooting 1-3 and having a hand in another goal.
“It’s funny. We always had total belief and you have tough days.
“You are always trying to do the right thing and you know that the people we have in place are doing it for the right reasons.
“They always have Armagh at heart first - no more than Geezer (McGeeney).
“It’s vindication for them and the work they have done over the last few years that we have been able to put in these performances.
“But that’s all it is. Two wins in a row to get to a quarter-final.
“We have been a Division 1 team the last few years so that’s the bar you should be setting for yourself - to go and play at Croke Park in the latter stages of the Championship.”
Grugan continued: “When you beat a team (Donegal) and then have to play them again, there’s a natural edge to the team that’s been beaten.
“There’s no doubt that we had massive hurt from the way we played in Ballybofey.
“I don’t think I was ever as sick with a team performance as I was at the end of that game seven weeks ago so it was definitely still there.
“We said that the good win against Tyrone didn’t take that away so as soon as Donegal came out of the pot we knew we had to step up and put that right.
“We went some way to doing that.
“Between League and Championship I don’t think we’ve beaten them in quite a few years.
“It was nice to get the monkey off our back. You don’t like any team to get the better of you so it was nice to put it right.”
Grugan was part of the 2017 Armagh side beaten by Down in the Ulster Championship that went on a back door run, beating Fermanagh, Westmeath, Tipperary and Kildare.
That brought them to an All-Ireland quarter-final showdown with Tyrone at Croke Park.
Armagh were crushed on a 3-17 to 0-8 scoreline.
There’s no doubt they’re a far better team now with an array of firepower in Grugan, Rian O’Neill, Aidan Nugent, Stefan Campbell, Jason Duffy, Andrew Murnin and Conor Turbitt.
There are only five current starters left from the 2017 side, who started against Donegal last Sunday: Grugan, Campbell, Aidan Forker, Stephen Sheridan and James Morgan.
The only caveat right now for Armagh is an injury list that includes five of their top players - Tiernan Kelly, Oisin O’Neill, Niall Grimley and Connaire and Ciaran Mackin.
“I’d say we’re a more mature team,” said Grugan. “There’s been a lot of fresh blood and new faces.
“Young players have come in since that run in 2017.
“This squad is very different. We’ve had a lot of harsh lessons, tough defeats on tough days.
“But I think the maturity in our performance the last two weeks has been seen in how we controlled the second half against very experienced teams (Tyrone and Donegal).”
Armagh’s most recent experience of Croke Park was a good win as their expansive kicking game saw them take Dublin down in the first round of the League back in late January.
Ballymacnab man Grugan continued: “Everyone wants to play in Croke Park, even as a player in general.
“But I suppose as a team, maybe the way we play our stuff, it’s where you want to be.
“It’s the type of place that we might relish playing in. It’s all well and good saying that.
“You just have to wait and see and prepare ourselves.”
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