Ben O'Connor: Cork's focus is ahead, not backwards

Given the identity of the opposition, there is likely to be extra narrative attached to Cork’s Allianz HL Division 1A clash with Tipperary at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow night (7.30pm).

The game is a repeat of last year’s league final at the venue, which Cork won well, but of course the sides also met in July’s All-Ireland final, which Tipp won by 15 points after a second-half collapse by the Rebels.

For Ben O’Connor and his management team, though, the focus is more on aiming for a third straight league win rather than any notions of revenge or redemption.

“From day one, when we came in, the first thing we said to them was that we weren't looking back,” he says.

“We're only looking at this as the next league match on our list – obviously, there's a bit more about it because it’s the two teams from the All-Ireland final last year but that’s where it stops.

“We're looking to pick up two more points and finish off the first part of the league with full points. There’ll be a lot made about it being Tipp and Cork, just because of what went on last year – it’s bound to be said around the place but, as far as we’re concerned, but we have fellas who are trying to make their place for the latter games of the league so they’re not going to be thinking too much about last year.

“They’ll only be thinking about what’s in front of them on Saturday night.”

For last Saturday night’s win in Galway, Cork made four changes to the side that had beaten Waterford in the opening round, with each lineup featuring ten All-Ireland starters.

Changes are likely again as players get chances and O’Connor is keen to highlight the fact that current form is the driving factor.

“Just because a fella has been playing for the last five or six years, that doesn't give him an automatic right to be playing again,” he says.

“They know that everything is being watched and there’s fellas that have been going well who’ll get their game and there’s other fellas then that have maybe dropped off a bit or picked up a knock.

“I’ve said it before, we’ve 36 fellas and they all think they should be playing. Some fellas haven’t got their chance yet but, when they do, they know they have to grab it with both hands.

“From what we can see above at training, the competition is fierce and we've a few for every position, especially now that we've a full squad, so we're delighted with the way things are going for us at the moment.

“Ian Jones is after managing the workloads with colleges and everything. We’re very happy with the injury situation and, touch wood, hopefully it’ll stay that way.”

Helping the bring the best out of those involved is the fact that the expected attendance will break modern records for a stand-alone hurling league game, helping to lift the intensity.

“It’s on television too,” O’Connor says, “and fellas don’t want to be on television and going poor, or they don’t want some fella above in the stand saying, ‘He’s not going great.’

“There’ll be around 25-30,000 people up there – a lot of teams in the country won’t have that at their championship matches.

“Fellas are mad to be playing in front of big crowds, that's what they're training for. Come Saturday night, hopefully we'll be able to give the home crowd something to roar about.”