Tipperary v Cork: Pat Ryan expecting tough test as Rebels face into busy period

After the famine of a three-week spell with no matches, the Cork hurlers face into a busy period with three games on the trot.

Tomorrow night’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A game against Tipperary in Thurles (7.30pm) is followed by a home game against Kilkenny next week before a trip to Clare eight days later.

Having beaten Wexford and then drawn with Limerick in their first two league games, the break afforded Cork a chance to reset as well as allowing management to work with a larger squad after the completing of the Fitzgibbon Cup.

“It was like an extra bit of pre-season,” says manager Pat Ryan.

“Obviously, it gave us a chance to get a bit of a breather with fellas. We’ve had so many fellas involved with the Fitzgibbon Cup and that was all happening around the same time as the first couple of league matches.

“Last Thursday night, really, was the first night that we’ve had a full crew back in, so that was great to get them all back, then we trained at the weekend, we were in the gym Monday night and training Tuesday and Thursday this week.

“That makes life a bit easier as regards playing 15-on-15 games and stuff like that, whereas up to then we were probably working off a squad of 22 or 23, so it’s great to have those 12 or 13 fellas back.”

If Cork were to make the league final, they would not have another three-week gap until well into the championship. The busy period now serves as a dry run for what will follow in terms of going from game to game.

“It’s great,” Ryan says, “and it kind of gives us a target for what we want to do, how you’re practising your analysis for after matches, so that you’re ready for the next team.

“Going from Tipperary to Kilkenny and Kilkenny to Clare will give the opportunity to practise for going from Clare to Tipp in the championship and from Limerick to Waterford.

“That’s a good thing, getting ready to have things done in tight time-periods, changing focus quickly.

“Obviously, whatever happens on Saturday, there’ll be a bit of analysis but you take the learnings from it and park it and then you’re changing tack straightaway, moving on to the next game. It’ll be like that in the Munster championship, too.”

The last time Cork went to FBD Semple Stadium, they scored 4-30 in what was the county’s biggest championship win over Tipp since the 19th century. That was against a Premier County side who were already eliminated, though, whereas Tipp have started the league campaign well and Ryan expects a tough challenge.

“I think they played a lot of good games last year as well,” he said.

“When we played them, I think that that goal just before half-time changed things, Alan scored a great goal, then we got another one just after half-time and we drove on from there.

“In fairness to Tipperary, they have a lot of good players and they seem to be very fit at this time of year. They don’t appear to have too many injuries and we’re expecting to facing a strong Tipperary side.

“We probably won’t be as strong in terms of names fellas would be used to, to a degree, but we’d expect to have a good team out as well.

“We’ll be giving opportunities to fellas and then we’ll have a couple coming back, the likes of Jack O’Connor and Robbie O’Flynn. They’ve been training really hard since they’ve come back in, obviously Robbie was away and he’s back now so the weekend will be a good opportunity to get him on the field.”