Three Cork hurlers who must fire to take down Limerick in Munster final

Saturday's Munster final isn't knockout but Cork have to tear into the game like it's the last they'll ever play.

They need to produce the same combination of fire, fury and skill that saw them pull off a huge shock in Croke Park last July. They'll need to have to be more tuned in tactically as well, given the long puck-out route was shut down in the most recent meeting and Kyle Hayes' redeployment to the D, along with touch-tight marking, smothered Cork's inside line.

Limerick are favourites to win a seventh successive provincial title. It'll take a lot to stop them.

Cork can worry about the bigger picture and the All-Ireland series next week. Alright, the round-robin game last month didn't have any major bearing on the season, in that it's still Limerick hosting Cork in the Munster final at TUS Gaelic Grounds, but the 16-point loss was utterly humiliating.

Pat Ryan and his charges weren't fully tuned in that sun-scorched afternoon and paid the ultimate price, a complete beatdown from the dominant force in modern hurling.

John Kiely's side were 2-18 to 0-9 up by half-time, a remarkable statement of intent, they scored 20 of their first 25 attempts at the target. They ended the afternoon with a conversion rate of 74%, and 82% from play, which highlighted how the poverty of Cork's work-rate and intensity.

STARK

In stark contrast, the 1-16 Cork managed their lowest championship tally since 2016 (0-13 against Tipp) and just eight scores came from play. Their shot conversion was 54%, between tenacious Limerick tackling and questionable decision-making, such as chasing goals in a crowded zone across the 20-metre line.

Patrick Horgan drilled a free to the net to leave the margin at 11 after 62 minutes but Cork failed to score again and ended up losing by 16, albeit impacted by Aaron Gillane earning a very soft penalty.

Writing in The Irish Times, Galway legend Joe Canning summed it up: '"Cork were not in the same frame of mind. They brought no aggression. They were cleaned out in the air..."

Injuries are a concern from a Cork perspective, with Ger Millerick out with a broken finger after a stormer against Waterford, when Niall O'Leary, Declan Dalton, Robbie O'Flynn and Rob Downey were all unavailable. In Croker last summer, Limerick badly missed Barry Nash and Peter Casey. The opposite could be the case this weekend.

But Canning's points are valid, leaving aside how strong the Rebel 15 will be, they simply must be in the right 'frame of mind', they've to bring controlled aggression to every line of the field from the throw-in and find a way to collect meaningful possession beyond midfield in the air.

How Brian Hayes fares will be critical to Cork's prospects. 

With 3-6, he is Cork's top-scorer from play in the Munster championship and he hit 5-8 in the league. He's also assisted another eight goals this year. 

However, he only grabbed a point from Dan Morrissey three weeks ago.

His size and passing mean he's as important as a playmaker as a scorer and Cork simply can't afford to have his enthusiasm curbed again.

Darragh Fitzgibbon was switched to midfield in the Waterford win, with Shane Barrett restored to centre-forward, and the expectation is that'll be the case again on Saturday night.

Those changes could be key to improving Hayes' fortunes against Morrissey.