Gary Keegan's big task to get Cork hurlers in right frame of mind for Limerick test

WHEN Gary Keegan first got involved with the Cork hurlers in 2017, he continually exposed the players to one of his core philosophies around creating and nurturing a growth mindset; have the group experience chaos, upset and adversity to really enable them to grow.

Five years later, in 2022, Keegan was back facilitating that environment of vulnerability in order to try and get to the real organs of performance and success. The background was broadly similar to what it was in 2017, because Cork were still chasing an All-Ireland.

But Keegan’s task was far harder after Cork lost their opening two championship matches in 2022 because chaos, upset, and adversity were circling everywhere.

The dynamic had radically changed because public expectation was far higher.

The anger bubbling after the 2021 All-Ireland final hammering was brought to the boil after Limerick whipped Cork again in the opening round of the 2022 championship. Public frustration and hostility was in the red, but the negativity got even worse again after Cork lost their second game to Clare in Thurles.

Cork looked on the floor, but they turned their season around and qualified from Munster with successive wins.

Two years on and, with Cork having lost two games again, Keegan’s input will have been invaluable over the last two weeks.

Unlike two years ago though, Keegan’s involvement hasn’t been as hands-on this time around.

His role with the Irish rugby team meant that Keegan’s contact with the Cork players has been in workshops and trying to reach players in whatever way again around their schedule.

His primary role is to try and break the patterns and habits that have been hurting Cork since last year.

Despite being in such a commanding position against Clare, Cork were forced to chase the game again, just like they had against Waterford seven days earlier. Burning that much mental and physical energy in comebacks has made the task of winning far harder again.

Unlike two years ago, the task in Round 3 now is all the harder again because Cork aren’t meeting a Waterford team on a downward swing, but a Limerick team that doesn’t know how to lose.

This is a knockout game for Cork. Lose and their season is over.

The pressure couldn’t be higher and yet, there doesn’t seem to be anything like the same public pressure compared to this stage of the season two years ago. Is that down to reduced levels of expectation?

Or has the Cork public just accepted that Cork are where they appear to be — close but still too far away? Trying to make up that mentality deficit will have been Keegan’s biggest challenge over the last two weeks.

Facing Limerick has further diluted any assumption of a Cork victory, but that has to be an advantage to the home team.

RISE

Taking a form-line through this championship, Cork’s graph is on the rise. Poor against Waterford, much better against Clare, now with a two-week break to learn from that defeat to prepare for Limerick.

One of the biggest disappointments from the Clare game was the lack of impact off the bench.

That was even more disappointing considering that Cork brought on three of their fastest players — Mark Coleman, Robbie O’Flynn, and Shane Kingston — when the game had opened up.

Yet they just couldn’t get on the ball, with Coleman, O’Flynn, and Kingston having just a combined four possessions.

One of the most incredible aspects of the Clare game was how much Cork scored given how the starting six forwards had just 38 possessions — and Seamus Harnedy accounted for one-third of those. And yet, Cork still hit 3-24.

Three green flags was another positive. Overall, Cork created nine goalscoring chances. There will come a day when Cork convert the majority of those goal chances and drill a team but can Saturday be that day?

Despite the crazy levels of pace in their squad, one of Cork’s biggest issues in recent years has been trying to fully unleash and unload that speed out of the traps.

FULL SPEED

Despite a perceived lack of pace in some of the Limerick defence, one of their great strengths is their ability to stop or slow down Cork’s runners in the middle third before they can get up to full speed.

Cork showed on two occasions against Clare — for Darragh Fitzgibbon’s chance in the first half and Shane Barrett’s opportunity in the second half — how lethal they can be if they can break the line with a runner coming for the offload at top speed.

The difference against Limerick is that the line will have to be broken closer to goal, as the Limerick half-back line sits deeper, which means sharper decision-making in less time once the opportunity presents itself.

Can Cork fine-tune that finishing?

Cork will need goals but they have struggled to get them against Limerick; in the sides’ last four championship meetings, Cork have only raised four green flags, one in each match. On the other hand, Limerick have scored 10 goals in those four games.

Given the poverty of Cork’s concession rate, an average of 2-27 against Waterford and Clare, it’s logical to assume that Limerick will post something similar tomorrow — they hit 2-27 against Tipp last time out.

Yet Tipp effectively gave up when the game went away from them and Cork have the capacity to reduce that propensity for Limerick to score something similar if they come with a much more aggressive approach, both in physicality and mindset.

If they do, Cork have the ability to put up a score big enough to win the game. This match should come down to the final minutes, which is when the biggest questions will be asked.

Limerick usually find those answers so can Cork find them first?

In a season-defining exam, Cork will hope that Keegan has prepared them for every question.