Derek McGrath: Cork can't pack predictability for Semple

Cork may need a tweak to the plan and a bolter in the team

BE UNPREDICTABLE: The job now for Cork is not to forget what happened last Saturday evening but to harness it, to build on it. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Cork will know that there is nothing easier to beat than predictability. Shane Barrett’s inference that they had taken last Saturday's game in isolation pointed to the strong influence Gary Keegan had on their mental preparation. His role will be even greater this week. Johhny Sexton's post-match interview after Ireland were defeated by the All Blacks at the World Cup spoke of his team's desire to “make the country proud”. 

The psychological concept of playing for something far greater than yourself can actually act as release of tension. The job now for Cork is not to forget what happened last Saturday evening but to harness it, to build on it.