From an early stage in this year's National Football League, it was clear that Larry Tompkins had assembled some good new defensive talent but it wasn't thought likely that he would proceed to the championship with quite so many on board.

That he did has long been vindicated by the way in which the backs have played as a unit, covering and marking for each other.

Even if it's invidious to compare the players within such a successful collective, Anthony Lynch has probably been the most impressive. At corner back since the league started, he has proved himself the perfect modern corner back - a combination of pace, concentration and perceptiveness.

In his years of playing minor, one, and under-21, three, for Cork he never made it out of the province so last month's All-Ireland semi-final was his first championship outing at Croke Park.

Even in the Sigerson Cup, he arrived at UCC just fractionally after a great team was breaking up and although he was on the team which reached the quarter-final in Belfast, the team went down to the eventual winners. Nonetheless, Lynch was selected on the team of the tournament at his club position of centre back, despite opposition from such distinguished company as Offaly's Cathal Daly who had played in that position for beaten finalists the Garda College.

His background is in Ballyvourney on the Cork-Kerry border. Former Kerry All-Ireland winning captain Ambrose O'Donovan lives on the other side in Gneeveguilla and his protean performances against Cork were generally ascribed to the cackling laughter which would be the soundtrack of the 12 months which followed any defeat by the neighbours. His uncle Jerry won an All-Ireland under-21 medal in 1971.

In this year's Munster final, Lynch marked another near-neighbour, Kerry captain John Crowley, and restricted him to two points. Only a year previously Crowley had run amok on Brian Corcoran, who was playing his last football match for Cork, and scored five points off him.

Rather than play for UCC in this year's county championship, Lynch opted to play with his divisional side Muskerry which was being captained by his brother Gary.

Last year, his season was disrupted by a shoulder injury sustained in the NFL quarter-final against Donegal and when he recovered, he missed the championship exit to Kerry in Killarney, watching instead from the sideline as an unused substitute.

He credits himself with a talent for positioning - at least says that he bases his game on that quality - but he also possesses all the attributes of a modern defender.

According to Des Cullinane who has trained him both at UCC and for the Cork under-21s, Lynch is a versatile player. "He makes a good scoring forward when used that way and has also played midfield. Corner back is his best position at the moment. He's a great marker, you can give him a job to do and he'll do it. He's not a typical marker, more a zonal defender. In the future I could see him making an inter-county centre back because he holds the centre and although he's not big, he's a good physical presence."

Given that teams rarely line out as selected or remain the way they start, a whole range of demands are placed on defenders and Lynch meets nearly all of them. This campaign has seen him use his pace to cover across the full-back line and his reading of the game to cut out dangerous ball.

Sunday pits him against Ollie Murphy, Meath's joint top-scorer, who took Dublin for 1-5. It's a judgment day for both of them.

Anthony Lynch

Age: 22.

Height: 5' 10".

Club: Naomh Aban.

Occupation: Commerce student.

Honours: 1 Munster SFC (1999); 1 NFL (1999); 1 Railway Cup SF (1999).