Watching brief for Cork U20s as Clare take on Limerick

While Cork have a break from Fulfil Munster U20HC action this week, the provincial table will take more shape as it reaches the halfway point.

The third round of fixtures is split across two weeks, meaning that the meeting of Clare and Limerick in Sixmilebridge is tonight’s only game and Noel Furlong’s Rebels then travel to Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field in Dungarvan to face Waterford next Wednesday.

Tonight’s match will leave all five counties with two games played. Clare – the Munster and All-Ireland champions at the equivalent minor grade three years ago – beat Waterford in their opener a fortnight ago and can join Tipperary on four points at the summit if they win.

Limerick’s only game so far was the defeat away to Cork last Wednesday and so another loss would leave them alongside Waterford without a point after two outings. The win moved Cork to two points.

The group winners at the end of the round-robin section will automatically advance to the Munster final while the team finishing in second place will host the side in third in the one semi-final tie.

Speaking after the Limerick game, Furlong was happy with how the team is becoming more cohesive.

“That's what we were saying coming away from Tipperary,” he said, “was that a team is being formed.

“You could see it last week, especially when we had a man sent off and the pressure came on and we could have crumbled, it was the heart, the determination, the effort, I think we had 15 hooks, blocks and tackles in that second half last week, which was incredible, and tonight again, particularly when the match was in the melting pot.

“We hadn't the best start in the world again, difficult enough conditions with the wind and the sun, and it took us a while to settle, and you've seen it there, when the crux of the match was ten minutes before half-time and ten minutes after half-time, our lads really stepped up in those moments, and it transferred on the scoreboard afterwards.”