Cork v Offaly: Rebels raring to go after training camp

The weather may not be as hospitable as it was during the Cork hurlers’ recent training camp but they will look to put their Portuguese experience to good use as a place in the Allianz HL final is on the line.

A win or a draw against Offaly tomorrow night at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh (7pm) will put the holders of the competition back in the final, with Limerick or Galway the opponents – Tipperary have a remote chance of reaching the decider but if they were to do so, it would be at the expense of Cork after defeat at home to the Faithful County.

Having lost to Limerick in their last outing a fortnight ago, Cork are refreshed and ready to go after the four-day stint in Vilamoura, which manager Ben O’Connor feels was very beneficial.

“Portugal was top-class, in fairness,” he says.

“The organising with Derek [Connolly], Paul [O’Sullivan], Ian Jones and John [Coleman], they had everything done – all the boys had to do was turn up and give it their best and they did.

“We trained very hard while we were there.”

A training camp essentially allows the team and management to function as professionals would for a few days, with innumerable benefits.

“There was no rushing and racing,” O’Connor says.

“When we finished training, we were able to sit down and talk about what we'd done and what went on and what we needed to improve on for the next day.

“You get to meet fellas as well, outside of hurling. You can chat with them and get to know them better and know what way they're thinking.

“The boys, in fairness, there wasn't a minute wasted while we were there and when you have the bit of sun on the back, every fella was in good form, every fella was prepared to sit around and talk for a while with each other.

“We got a lot out of it now, and especially physically; we got a great block out of it.”

Before the loss to the Treatymen at TUS Gaelic Grounds, Cork had gone four from four in the league, a statistic made more impressive by the regular shuffling of the deck in terms of team selection.

O’Connor is keen to see a further improvement now after the opportunity to review matters in Portugal.

“We had five matches that we could look back on,” he says, “clips that we could focus on, good stuff and poor stuff and what we could improve on.

“It’s a nice boost coming home that we have a game to look forward to this weekend. Hopefully, there’s a lot of what we were doing in Portugal that we’ll be able to put into action this weekend.

“The boys are just mad to get going again anyway, too.”

Cork are aiming to make it a tenth straight home match without defeat across league and championship while they have not lost to a Leinster side in more than two years – the unbeaten record against Offaly goes back to 2003.

Since the start of last year, every home league match has broken the 20,000 barrier for attendances, and, with this the last game at the Páirc before the championship clash against Limerick on April 26, O’Connor anticipates a good atmosphere.

“A Saturday night game, the boys love the buzz of going down from Silver Springs, all the ways in the Marina and out to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

“It’s a good buzz and it’s practice for championship, that’s what it is. We’re looking forward to that and we’re hoping that we’ll be able to put on a performance.”