Cork U20 hurlers well set as championship approaches

Cork U20 hurling coach/selector Ger O’Regan is keen to see standards remain high as the team move towards the beginning of the championship.

On Sunday, Ben O’Connor’s side were 2-18 to 1-13 winners over their Galway counterparts in a challenge game at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the curtain-raiser to the hurling league clash between Cork and Waterford.

It is the Déise U20s who provide the opposition for Cork’s first oneills.com Munster U20HC game, in Fraher Field in Dungarvan. O’Regan was pleased with what he witnessed on Sunday and wants more of the same now.

“We’re five weeks out now,” he says, “and that’s what we’re looking for, fellas to up the workrate and up the effort.

“Sunday’s game was a good benchmark of where we are and we’ll look to kick on again from here.”

Jack Leahy scored nine points, four from play, with David Cremin and Diarmuid Healy getting the goals.

Three years ago, Cork beat Galway in the equivalent All-Ireland minor final, with ten of Sunday’s team involved - and O'Regan as coach. Measuring themselves against the Tribesmen is a useful barometer, albeit more a rule of thumb than a cast-iron rule.

“I think, in that three years, everybody’s after developing,” O’Regan says.

“We’re delighted with that workout and delighted with the effort and the workrate from lads. We’re really happy.”

Cork are able to call upon half of the team that won last year’s All-Ireland U20 title. That provides a solid foundation, O’Regan believes.

“It definitely helps,” he says, “especially around the structure and how we’re trying to play, the environment and fellas being used to it and familiar with it.

“Obviously, then, they’re very good at bringing the other lads on as well. All the new lads that have come in have settled in seamlessly.

“They’re mad for road as well and mad to learn, which is what we want.”

Added to that is the addition of seven players from the 2023 minor team. Coming into a successful set-up means that they have to reach high standards and they are doing so.

“You see Johnny Galvin coming on there at half-time,” O’Regan says, “a minor last year two points in the second half.

“That’s what we’re looking for, lads to come in and do a job for us.”

Injury-wise, the landscape is relatively clear, thankfully, while other commitments have wound down, allowing a clear focus on the championship.

“The Harty finished up early for us,” O’Regan says.

“We had lads playing freshers but, to be fair, we have a great relationship with MTU and UCC and we’re making sure lads aren’t out every night of the week.

“They finished up last week and we’ve everybody now for five weeks and we’ll look to drive on.

“Timmy Wilk got a bit of a knock playing with UCC last week, but he’s healing well.

“Then it’s just a bit of sickness, a few coughs and colds, nothing serious.”

To that end, there are more challenge matches lined up but, such is the level of competition for places, intra-squad games can be as valuable in priming the squad for what lies ahead.

“It’ll be a case of mix and match,” O’Regan says.

“We have some games lined up, but some of the best games we had last year were those A-v-B matches, where fellas are looking for looking a place in the 1-24 and they’re cutting rashers off each other, as Ben says!

“That’s exactly what we want, to have the tempo at training as high as we can possibly have it so that, when we go out there, we’re fully prepared.”

All of the U20 championship games take place on Friday night. After the Waterford opener, Cork host Clare on April 12 and Limerick on April 26. Their last round-robin game is away to Tipperary on May 3.

The team finishing top advances straight to the Munster final on May 24, with the second- and third-placed sides clashing in the final on May 17.