John Horgan on how Cork can cope with Limerick threat in Munster hurling showdown

Given its condensed nature, there can be no resting on laurels in the provincial hurling championship.

In the past, a first round victory gave a county a bit of breathing space until the next assignment but that’s much changed now when you are playing four games in a very short space of time.

When you are back in the minefield of the Munster championship just a week after an opening day victory or conversely a loss, the time for reflection is very little.

Cork took on and defeated the best team in the country last Sunday and next Sunday they face the current best team in the country.

Of course, there is a vast difference between victory and defeat on the opening day, the winners securing the momentum required for the next game, the losers under more pressure knowing that a second defeat seven days later puts them at a high risk of having their hurling Summer shortened.

When the schedule of games for the Munster championship was released some would have been of the opinion that Cork had drawn the short straw in having to play Tipperary and Limerick on consecutive Sundays.

Well, the first box has been ticked in impressive fashion, Cork too strong for the Premier County in Thurles with Limerick next on their agenda.

Limerick have not played championship hurling yet but they have had the opportunity of casting their eye over their four opponents in the province.

There are always learnings to be taken from a victory or a loss and John Kiely will have witnessed a much improved performance from Cork from the one produced in the league final, evidence again how different both competitions are.

Little fault could be found with Cork last Sunday, maybe not hammering home their advantage to a greater extent when they had constructed a significant advantage on the scoreboard was a slight concern.

CRUCIAL

There was an issue with long-range frees in the first-half and the importance of free-taking from 80 to 100 yards out cannot be emphasised enough.

But on the day in Thurles the overall performance gladdened the hearts of Cork’s huge support base and the squad has to be in a positive frame of mind in advance of Limerick’s arrival.

A few weeks ago, Limerick were by far the superior side in the league final, too many Cork players didn’t reach the required level of performance and too much latitude was provided for the Limerick attack, particularly Aaron Gillane who tormented Cork when oceans of space was given to him.

The Cork half-back line was far more structured last Sunday than it had been in that league final loss and the Cork half-forward line was far more assertive with Darragh Fitzgibbon, Shane Barrett and young Barry Walsh lighting up the old stadium with a haul of 12 points between them.

In fact, there was a vast improvement overall in Cork’s play and the return from Ciaran Joyce in the troubled number three shirt was a big positive, taking up from where he left off in the league final.

Maybe the supply into Alan Connolly and Brian Hayes in the full-forward line could have been a lot better but the performance produced by William Buckley illuminated the proceedings, himself and Walsh justifying the faith placed in them by the management.

TEAM TO BEAT

Of course, no two games are similar and despite Tipperary winning last season’s All Ireland, Limerick remain the team that the opposition is most judged on.

When they got stunned by Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final last season, there was a school of thought suggesting that this was the end for one of the greatest teams of all time, maybe the greatest of all.

There might have been a suggestion that John Kiely would end his tenure as one of the game’s great managers but that was never going to be case.

Himself, Paul Kinnerk and the returning Caroline Currid as the team’s psychologist are very intelligent personnel and deep down they knew that there could be more forthcoming from their squad.

And that remains one of their great strengths, their squad depth is greater than all the rest despite Cork not lacking in their numbers and the return of Diarmuid Healy last Sunday creates the type of headache all team managements want.

During the week, the speculators had a coming together regarding the make-up of the team for Sunday. For me, the likelihood is that the team will have been announced and the status quo from the Tipp game will have prevailed.

It would be a small surprise if the team showed any change or changes and if and when the need arises the options off the bench are considerable.

The Cork management are fully aware of how dominant the Limerick half-back trio of Diarmaid Byrnes, William O’Donoghue and Kyle Hayes were in the league final but it was a much-improved performance from the three Cork half-forwards last Sunday in Thurles.

Limerick full-forward Shane O’Brien was restricted to just a point off Joyce the last day and was withdrawn in the second-half. 

Who will be on the Limerick frees on Sunday? Aidan O’Connor was off target with a few in that league decider with Gillane taking over. Again and to repeat, the free-taking is of huge relevance in every major hurling game now.

Who will have benefitted the most from last Sunday? Cork exhibiting their more recent battle hardness against the All-Ireland champions or Limerick, who have had the benefit of an extra week away from the competitive arena?

Cork answered many questions against Tipperary. The two newcomers Walsh and Buckley fitted seamlessly into the set-up and removed any doubts about throwing young guns into the hard question environment that the Munster championship has become.

The pundits will have different takes on who wins on Sunday, Limerick seeing as how better they were in the league final, Cork given how well they performed against Tipperary.

The last major championship game between the two counties in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh was an epic to surpass all epics, Cork coming out on top of a 60-score encounter that had supporters gasping for breath after Patrick Horgan clung a last-second penalty.

The Cork players who performed so heroically that night stood up to be counted to deny their now greatest rivals.

We don’t know what will transpire on Sunday but we do know one thing, Cork’s victory in Thurles eases the pressure in terms of qualification and on home turf there will be a buoyancy on and off the field.

Will this be the first of three championship meetings this summer between them? Let’s not jump the gun at this stage but whoever emerges will be in a great place going forward.

Cork and Limerick is hurling’s greatest rivalry in the current game. Another memorable chapter will surely be added to their story on Sunday.

Gun to the head and on the evidence of last Sunday in Thurles, Cork to turn the tables for the second time in a week.

Verdict: Cork