Cork hurling fans beware, record of teams finishing third in their groups is terrible...

THERE'S a strong perception that finishing in third place in the provincial group stages is the ideal route to the All-Ireland series.

You avoid the pressure of a Munster or Leinster final and get a welcome break in the condensed split-season format to gear up for the business end of the championship.

Cork certainly look in a very strong position to reach Croke Park now, facing Offaly next Saturday and then Dublin seven days later in Thurles, provided they win in Tullamore. Any Leesider would have taken that scenario when Clare departed the Páirc with the victory on April 28.

Yet the record of the third-placed provincial teams is appalling. Limerick, who else, buck the trend because they came third in 2018 when Cork last won Munster, but rebounded to secure the All-Ireland against the odds.

Otherwise, all the other teams fell short in the All-Ireland quarter-final, with Dublin actually losing to Joe McDonagh Cup champions Laois in 2019. That same season, Cork were eliminated by Kilkenny despite Patrick Horgan blasting in 3-10 in a display that was rewarded with an All-Star but nothing else.

Wexford were beaten by Munster runners-up Clare in 2018 and '22, the first time in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The Banner took out Dublin 12 months ago while Tipp, who had shown great form in the early rounds of the Munster group, were sent packing by a Galway team that lost the Leinster final in cruel fashion to a last-gasp goal.

Cork fell to the Tribe in the 2022 All-Ireland quarter-final when they never recovered from the concession of a cheap early goal and squandered multiple chances in what was Kieran Kingston's last game in charge. 

There were parallels between that summer and this one, Cork losing their first two games, then beating Waterford, Tipp and Antrim to head to Thurles with significant momentum.

While the sample size isn't huge, as the 2020 and '21 seasons were Covid-impacted and run using the old backdoor format, it's still incredible that only one of the eight third-placed teams got past the quarter-finals.

The one positive for Rebels is that in 2021 they bounced back from losing to Limerick in Munster to reach the All-Ireland with wins over Clare, Dublin and Kilkenny. We just won't mention how the final went...

2018:

Limerick beat Joe McDonagh champions Carlow, Kilkenny, Cork and Galway to win the All-Ireland.

Wexford beat Westmeath, lost to Munster runners-up Clare in the quarter-final.

2019:

Cork beat Westmeath, lost to Leinster runners-up Kilkenny in the quarter-final.

Dublin lost to Joe McDonagh champions Laois, who were then beaten by Munster runners-up Tipperary.

Tipp defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final.

2022:

Cork beat Joe McDonagh winners Antrim, lost to Leinster runners-up Galway.

Wexford beat Kerry, lost to Munster runners-up Clare.

Limerick defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final.

2023:

Tipperary beat Offaly, lost to Leinster runners-up Galway.

Dublin beat Joe McDonagh champions Carlow, lost to Munster runners-up Clare.

Limerick defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final.

Overall:

Eight teams have finished in third place in the group stages but only Limerick in 2018 won their subsequent quarter-final and in 2019 Dublin were knocked out by McDonagh winners Laois.