Hard to believe that the words knockout and April would ever be in the same sentence when it comes to championship hurling but that is more or less what's at stake in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday when Cork welcome Clare to town.
Both are coming in off the back of a close loss. Clare capitulated, Cork never got going, so who will have the most mental baggage from their opening round defeats?
There are cases to be made for both but for me it’s The Banner who carry the most hurt going into this game. They held all the cards after 52 minutes against Limerick: up by nine points, getting Tony Kelly on the field, but from then until the end they were outscored 3-06 to 0-3, a frightening stat in a club game, let alone in a battle of the top two inter-county teams in the country and Clare at home.
I think getting over that is tougher than getting over a poor performance, which Cork had last weekend. But credit to Waterford, they brought fight and intensity to that game and hurled in a way we had not seen from them in some time. They deserved their victory and we all saw what it meant to them at the final whistle, not least to their manager.
But back to Clare and Cork. What are the issues here and how can they fix them in such a quick turn- around? For Clare, the right men are on the field for them and I’m sure Tony Kelly will be in from the off so the issue here is the mental side of play. Can they park the hurt from last week and focus on the fact that this is still very much in their hands? It could be taken out of their hands by 4pm Sunday and then that league title becomes less and less important to them and their fans.
"Sometimes in life, the only thing people like to see changed is a baby's nappy but for me and many more Cork fans change is exactly what’s needed right now"
A lot of people will have heard about Caroline Currid and the great work she has done with teams in terms of sports psychology. Some have even wondered how Limerick would cope without her this year. Well I think we got our answer last Sunday; Limerick are as mentally strong as they have ever been. If Clare could tap into that I do believe they will beat Cork as I feel they are a better team right now. Clare have done well after a loss before: we only have to look back to that epic encounter in the Gaelic Grounds last April, after shipping five goals against Tipperary in Cusack Park, to understand that there is a mental steel there and a bounce in the group after a defeat.
Sometimes in life, the only thing people like to see changed is a baby’s nappy but for me and many more Cork fans change is exactly what’s needed right now for them to push on. I am sure they are sick of people telling them how long it has been since Liam McCarthy went Leeside, it’s 19 years now in case ye didn’t know.
Pat Ryan has they need goals but really the only in-form goal scorer on the pitch was Alan Connolly and I’m sure he was questioning the lack of ball he was seeing in Walsh Park because when he got it he looked dangerous. For Ryan, there is a tough call to make with regards to how many changes there are going to be. But they need to be made if the Cork players want to focus on championship hurling in May and not on what club in America they might go and play with in June.
Names like Robbie O’Flynn, Brian Hayes, Brian Roche, Eoin Downey and Ben Cunningham should be on that team sheet Sunday. It will mean a changing of the guard that has served them so well but it’s where they need to go right now to stay competitive in 2024 and beyond.
There have been four round-robin games between these two and Clare lead the way with three victories to one. Clare scored 1-18 against Limerick but they will get more than this against a Cork team that frequently concede 30-plus points in championship. It happened for the third time in four games against Waterford, who do not have the same fire power as Clare potentially do, so that’s another area to tighten up for Cork.
So what’s going to win it: mental strength to put the past behind them quickly for Clare or new blood for Cork showing that the future is bright on Leeside? I am delighted to be on radio duty for this one on Sunday as it has to be a cracker and if I had to call it right now it would be a win on the road for Clare.
"I could tell you easier what the weather will be like in August rather than what the Tipp team will be"
Elsewhere, up the road in Limerick, Tipperary will get their campaign going when they visit the Gaelic Grounds, a place that has not been kind to them in recent years. I could tell you easier what the weather will be like in August rather than what the Tipp team will be. For me, there are a couple of guys guaranteed to start - Ronan Maher, Jake Morris and Willie Connors should get the nod - and after that the team and who will start on it is anyone’s guess. I’m not sure if having 12 positions up for grabs is a good thing or a worry but one thing is for sure that Tipp will know exactly where they are after 70 minutes on Sunday and I hope it’s a good place. I hope.
Galway and Kilkenny ticked the opening-round boxes without too much hassle but the worry is the injuries picked up from these games, in particular for Kilkenny. I think Galway at home will be a stronger unit on Sunday due to that and Derek Lyng knowing that, most likely, regardless of the result in Salthill both teams will be back in Croke Park for a Leinster final.
Maybe Antrim knew the Kilkenny game wasn’t the one to go all out for and are looking at taking a scalp against Wexford now in Corrigan Park. If Wexford really want to be considered in the conversation of a competitive top-level team then this is a job they will just have to get done and I expect they will. But the win is what’s needed, not another draw for Wexford.
Dublin could have it a bit tougher against Carlow, who had some good spells against Galway, but again they should get the job done here. So no draws in Leinster this week I’d imagine, a win for Clare in Cork and when I know the Tipp team I’ll let ye know what I think might happen on the Ennis Road on Sunday. Enjoy it all folks, let’s keep that sunshine now too please.
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