Cork U20 team named for Limerick clash

James O'Brien comes into the Cork team for Wednesday's Fulfil Munster U20HC clash against Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The Cloyne man replaces the suspended John Murphy, who was sent off in last Wednesday's defeat, while Mark O'Brien is added to the substitutes' bench.

Having fallen just short against the Munster and All-Ireland champions last week despite conceding the first six points, Cork manager Noel Furlong expects the team to respond well.

“Obviously, we were disappointed with the result but very proud of the performance,” he says, “particularly after the first 15 minutes.

“First day out, you'd be unsure on a lot of things, but certainly by the end of the game, we had found out an awful amount about the players and about a new team forming, because it is a new team every year when you're playing together with such a turnover.

“We were delighted with that and we met on Thursday, we did a review and then, just with the week turnaround, the full focus has to switch to Limerick then.

“You take the learnings and it’s full-on. With the round-robin, it's week after week, so you need to have your focus. Limerick were able to look at us, so you could argue it's a potential advantage for them in that regard, but you're after having a game under your belt and that's the other side of the coin.

“We need to make sure that our preparation is absolutely perfect for Wednesday.”

Given the week-on-week nature, the time in between is geared towards recovery.

“These championship matches are very high-intensity, so you need to let the bodies recover and you can't force and try and put too much in, especially with just a week turnaround,” Furlong says.

“We had a short snappy session on Saturday and a short snappy session on Monday and it's just a case of running through routines, different things like tactical setups, it's more walk-throughs than anything high-intensity.

“All the work is done really – I said previously that we had 16 challenge matches and a bunch of trials prior to that so all the heavy lifting is done.

“It's about maintenance and just refining and, ‘This worked well, this is an area for development, let's go after this and try and improve it.’

“It’s no different than any other team, but we've done a lot and the lads are driving our standards and our set-up. Our lads are very well-coached and they're really looking forward now to playing in front of a home crowd at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

“That's one thing, I would definitely encourage the Cork public to come out and support this team. You've seen the effort and we have exciting forwards, playing an attacking brand of hurling.

“You've seen the effort everyone gave on Wednesday night, so that's one thing I would like to encourage.”

CORK (Munster U20HC v Limerick): Oisín Walsh (Youghal); Darragh Heavin (Russell Rovers), Denis Fitzgerald (Bride Rovers), David O’Leary (Ballincollig); Michael Tadhg Brosnan (Glen Rovers), Ben Walsh (Killeagh), Matthew Barrett (Carrigtwohill); Conor Noonan (Kanturk), Jack O’Brien (Douglas); Barry Walsh (Killeagh), Barry O’Flynn (Sarsfields, captain), Johnny Murphy (Dromina); Finn O’Brien (Erin’s Own), Zach Biggane (Charleville), James O’Brien (Cloyne).

Subs: Tom Walsh (Aghada), Rian O’Riordan (Blackrock), Colm Garde (Lisgoold), Johnny Galvin (Éire Óg), Jayden Casey (Youghal), Mark O’Brien (Douglas), Craig O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh), Cormac Deane (Killeagh), Diarmuid Wall (Glen Rovers).

Additional squad members: James Murray (St Finbarr’s), Jack Counihan (Watergrasshill), Eoghan O’Shea (Ballinhassig), Cillian O’Callaghan (Dungourney), Peter Barrett (Midleton), John Murphy (Mallow).