Cork v Tipperary: No changes to Rebels' starting 15 for All-Ireland final
The Cork team before All-Ireland SHC final against Clare. Picture: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
Cork have named an unchanged team for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC final against Tipperary at Croke Park (3.30pm).
Having scored 7-26 in the semi-final against Dublin, Pat Ryan and his management have kept faith with the same starting 15 – the first time in the seven-game campaign that there has not been an alteration to the lineup.
Séamus Harnedy, who turned 35 on Thursday, missed the semi-final due to a hamstring injury but he is fit enough to take a place a on the bench, as is Cormac O’Brien, who had been out with a quad injury. Ethan Twomey and Jack O’Connor are the unlucky players to miss out.
The team features 14 of those who began last year’s extra-time final defeat to Clare, with Diarmuid Healy for Harnedy the only difference. Fourteen of the side also began this year’s Munster SHC opener against the Banner County – Declan Dalton for Harnedy the only switch from that.
Getting back to a final was no inevitability, but equally the experience is something that Cork have channelled well.
“You get confidence from your preparation,” Pat Ryan says, “our preparation has been excellent.
“The lads have trained really diligently, Donal O'Rourke our coach is doing a fantastic job, Ian Jones, our head of S&C is doing a fantastic job, fellas are in better shape. We've less injuries, we've had better games during the year, we've won matches, we've won trophies, that builds confidence, of course it does.
“But at the same time, every team that you're playing is very formidable, and, look, from our point of view it's, it's making sure that we're ready to play Tipperary again.
“All-Ireland finals take on a life of their own and you just can't estimate what will happen in the day and it's just being prepared as best we can.”
Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig); Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra); Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers, captain), Mark Coleman (Blarney); Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville); Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold), Shane Barrett (Blarney), Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neills); Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), Alan Connolly (Blackrock), Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s).
Brion Saunderson (Midleton), Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neills), Cormac O’Brien (Newtownshandrum), Tommy O’Connell (Midleton), Luke Meade (Newcestown), Brian Roche (Bride Rovers), Séamus Harnedy (St Ita’s), Robbie O’Flynn (Erin’s Own), Conor Lehane (Midleton), Shane Kingston (Douglas).
Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s), Jack O’Connor (Sarsfields), Cathal McCarthy (Sarsfields), Daniel Hogan (Sarsfields), Darragh Flynn (Ballygiblin), Darragh O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig), Eoin Roche (Bride Rovers), Jack Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Micheál Mullins (Glen Rovers), Pádraig Power (Blarney), Robbie Cotter (Blackrock), William Buckley (St Finbarr’s).
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