Cork hurlers suffer another defensive injury

Cork have suffered another defensive blow with the news that Dáire O’Leary will miss Saturday’s Munster SHC clash with Waterford at Azzurri Walsh Park (6pm).

With Ciarán Joyce and Robert Downey having been forced off in the win over Limerick last Sunday week, O’Leary had been in the mix the fill the vacancies that had arisen.

The Watergrasshill man, previously a part of the Cork panel under Kieran Kingston and Pat Ryan and recalled by manager Ben O’Connor at the beginning of this year, started Cork’s first five Allianz Hurling League games at full-back before a hamstring injury ruled him out.

Following his return, he sustained an Achilles issue, as O’Connor outlined.

“Dáire was just back,” he said, “he had about a week or ten days done in training, but he picked up a knock in training and so he’s out for this weekend, too.

“It’s a new injury for him. There along, it was a hamstring he had but this is an Achilles injury he’s after picking up.

“I suppose the ground has got a bit harder, which didn’t help, and he was after missing four or five weeks already through the hamstring, so that knocked that on the head.”

That it is another defensive absentee will test the Rebels’ depth even further but O’Connor acknowledges that the situation creates opportunities, too.

Damien Cahalane and Ger Millerick were the subs used against Limerick while Eoin Roche, Cormac O’Brien and Micheál Mullins are other backs who featured in the league and Tim O’Mahony could be a possibility at number 6.

“We thought we had loads of options in the full-back line up until a few weeks ago,” O’Connor said.

“Now, you’ve Joycey out and Dáire too, so that’s two gone straightaway. Look, it’s disappointing but, the same as with the other injuries, what can we do only drive on with it.

“Obviously, in an ideal world, everyone wants every fella fit and fighting for a place.

“But, at the same time, when you see someone in your position getting injured, in the back of your head, you're thinking to yourself, ‘I'm a chance here now.’

“That’s just the nature of sport, isn’t it?”

Cork go into Saturday’s game top of the Munster round-robin table and another victory would all but guarantee a place in the provincial final.

To that end, O’Connor feels that the two-week gap has been very beneficial in the wake of playing Tipperary and Limerick on consecutive Sundays.

“It was,” he said, “even mentally moreso than physically.

“After the Limerick game, the lads didn’t much until the following weekend.

“The boys just needed a break – there was a lot of pressure on the first two championship games. There is every year, but I suppose there was extra given the two teams that we were up against.

“It was nice to get the two weeks off now to recharge the batteries and work on a few bits and pieces.

“Fellas are in good form and they're looking forward to Saturday evening.”