“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs

I was looking forward to this encounter all the week, given what happened when the sides last met.

To say Fintan O’Connor is your conventional inter-county hurling selector wouldn’t just be inaccurate: it would be wrong.

The stats from Sunday’s semi-final loss to Galway will offer few crumbs of comfort for Jimmy Barry-Murphy and his management team. 

Waterford weren’t as sharp against Tipp as they were earlier in the spring. They’re training since last autumn. Fatigue can surreptitiously seep into a losing dressing room.

Jeff Reinebold features as an analyst on Sky’s NFL coverage. He is fond of a fickle character who inevitably helps the winning team from a vital juncture in the game. He calls him Mr Mo Mentum.

Jimmy Barry-Murphy praised the character of his players on Saturday night, but he also cited his team’s structure in their win over Clare.

If last year’s All-Ireland qualifier against Sligo was the day Cork footballers tore up the script and started again, was the hurlers’ backdoor game with Wexford last Saturday the day they changed tack?

Seamus Harnedy returns to Cork’s starting line-up for their All-Ireland SHC qualifier against Wexford at Innovate Wexford Park on Saturday night.

Sarsfields 0-15 Bishopstown 1-7: An excellent exhibition of point-scoring by Cian McCarthy powered defending champions Sarsfields to a comfortable victory over Bishopstown in a substandard second-round tie in the county senior hurling championship at Pairc Uí Rinn last night.

Cork’s inability to break down the Waterford ‘system’ once again proved their downfall in Thurles.

Cork 1-21 Waterford 3-19: An afternoon of affirmations played itself out in Thurles yesterday as Cork were once more found wanting when confronted by the energy and wit of Waterford, who delivered the better championship performance.

Before yesterday’s Munster hurling semi-final began, the mood and atmosphere around this Cork team reminded me of 2003, when they met Clare in Thurles.

This ride on the white and blue merry-go-round. Where is it going to end? When are Waterford actually going to lose a match?

The pressure is on Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald to deliver a Munster championship victory on Sunday, according to Tomás Mulcahy.

BALLYHEA

Jimmy Barry-Murphy has strengthened his Cork team significantly for Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League semi-final against Dublin with switches in defence and attack.

Jimmy Barry-Murphy expects Pa Cronin, Mark Ellis and Alan Cadogan to be fit for selection ahead of Cork’s league semi-final against Dublin on April 19.

Cork hurler Christopher Joyce is to miss the rest of the season after tearing his cruciate ligament in action on Saturday evening.

Cork hurling manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy is hopeful that defender Christopher Joyce, substituted with a knee injury on Saturday, will soon be back in action.

There are three changes to the Cork senior hurling side for tomorrow night’s Allianz Hurling Division 1A clash with Clare in Páirc Uí Rinn.

I met Jimmy Barry-Murphy underneath the stand last month in Clonmel, says Anthony Daly.

Rising Cork talent Alan Cadogan met football manager Brian Cuthbert over the winter but decided to stick with hurling because of his breakthrough 2014 season.

Waterford Crystal Cup

Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash admitted he’s got some big decisions to make after experiencing a one-on-one penalty first hand.

Kevin Hennessy can’t see Cork winning the All-Ireland title this year due to the seismic impact of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tipperary.

Cork 1-26 UCC 2-12: The heavy rain and wind didn’t make for a great spectacle, but there were some bright spots for Cork manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy as his side retained the Canon O’Brien Cup by beating UCC at the Mardyke last night.

Cork PIHC relegation play-off

Eamon O’Shea has a placement rather than a selection dilemma in the key full-back role

Match Preview

Huge question marks hang over both Cork and Tipperary. Sunday’s semi-final showdown will provide the answers, argues Donal Óg Cusack.

Cork captain Pa Cronin could still start this Sunday's All-Ireland Senior Hurling semi-final against Tipperary.

Alan Cadogan walked despondently from the hallowed turf of Thurles last July, a non-existent figure in the county’s 15-point annihilation at the hands of Tipperary.

I would like to congratulate the Cork team on a very clean, hard-fought, victory over Limerick at Pairc Uí Caoimh.

In each of the previous two seasons since their promotion to the senior hurling grade in Cork, Courcey Rovers have lost the first round before winning their second match.

Cork GAA have comfirmed that forward Patrick Cronin sustained a fractured fibula in Sunday’s game, however they are hopeful of a quick recovery.

With the teams level at half-time, it was clear the first goal would have a huge bearing on the result. And so it proved.

Cork 2-24 Limerick 0-24

Cork 2-24 Limerick 0-24

Cork hurling captain Pa Cronin says he’ll be glued to Sunday’s Munster football final — to make sure the county’s dual stars all avoid injury.

MUNSTER SHC QUARTER-FINAL REPLAY:

Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s Cork eased through to the Munster SHC semi-final with a landslide victory over Waterford in this afternoon’s quarter- final replay at Semple Stadium.