Cork Camogie: All-Ireland series starts at home to Tipp

SUNDAY: All-Ireland Minor Championship: Cork v Tipperary, Castle Road, 2pm.

An earlier-than-usual start for the Cork county minor camogie team has already seen the Munster championship completed and thoughts now turn to the All-Ireland series.

Cork get their campaign underway on Sunday when they meet Tipperary.

They play Dublin on March 2 and will meet Kilkenny for the last group game on March 16. The quarter-finals are down for March 30 with the semi-finals on April 13-14 and the final the weekend of April 26-27.

It’s a tough opener for Cork as they take on defending All-Ireland champions Tipperary, who fell short by just four points to a very strong Limerick side in their recent Munster semi-final.

Cork had two points to spare over Lmerick in a cracking Munster final and with little between these sides, we can expect a lively start to the All-Ireland campaign.

Tipperary contested the Munster B final and cruised to victory over Clare.

They have excellent players in Caoimhe Stakelum, who notched up 3-13 in the B final, their midfield duo of Emma Kennedy and Issy Carr are hardworking and they will move the ball fast to their inside line where we would expect to see Caoimhe Stakelum at full-forward where she will be their target player.

Cork will need to try and cut off supply to this area where Maeve Cunneen also impressed at corner forward in both provincial outings for Tipperary, in defence Eve Cleary and Sarah McLoughlin have been to the fore.

With the Munster title secure, Cork are now fully focused and ready to go, and with just three group games, there is little margin for error. Manager Mossy O’Sullivan and his backroom mentors will go in happy that his side performed so well in the provincial championship.

Having recorded a comprehensive opening round victory over Clare, Cork really had to dig out a victory in their clash with Limerick, but they showed huge maturity in doing so.

Trailing by two points at the interval Cork turned the table with a superb second-half display.

LEADER

Captain Rachel Murphy has been outstanding all throughout leading by example and she will be one of the big players for Cork as they go in search of the title.

Ally Mulkerrins, Clara Murphy and Aoife Cottrell will pose a threat to the Tipperary defence, but Mossie O’Sullivan will be looking for more of a contribution from his other players, with only four of them on the score sheet against Limerick, a bigger contribution will be needed.

The Cork defence got a severe test from Limerick but they stood firm.

Tipperary will pose another big threat but with players of the calibre of Avril Cagney, Laoise Ahern and Aisling Cussen, the Tipperary attack can look forward to a hard hour.

In the other group game, Dublin are at home against Kilkenny, in group two Limerick can expect a tough hour when they host Galway and Wexford are at home for their meeting with Clare.