A pair of aces in Rebels’ winning hand

IN the fame game, you know you’ve arrived when a single word is enough to identify you.

Elvis, Yeats, Dev, DJ, in their own specific areas, all made it.

How much more special then, when there’s a pair of you, and each attains that exalted status. It’s been over a decade in the brewing, starting in their home club of Newtownshandrum, spreading quickly through the underage clubs of North Cork, and then to the whole county.

Now, the whole country is aware, the whole world also, wherever hurling is known. The Twins, or, more specifically, Ben and Jerry O'Connor.

For two seasons they’ve been wearing the red and white of Cork together; two years they’ve been getting progressively more explosive; two years in which they’ve done it all, culminating in a joint tour-de-force in Sunday’s All-Ireland senior hurling win over Galway.

“Look at them,” invites Con Murphy, long-time Cork team doctor, a man who’s seen many of the greats. “Last year, Ben captained Cork to the All-Ireland title, this year he was man of the match.

“Last year Jerry was an Allstar, this year he’s in contention for Player of the Year, and both could become the first twins to get Allstars in the same year. That’s a fantastic record.”

What is it that makes them so special? Well, there’s their phenomenal athleticism, for a start.

Jerry Wallis, a former top-class athlete, is Cork team trainer. Here’s his assessment of their talents.

“They’re a joy to work with, I’d say if they were tested on the VO2 max, they’d be coming in as world-class, they’re that good. I’m just glad (famous athletics guru) Fr Kelleher wasn’t around them when they were youngsters, we might have lost them to athletics. And they would have made it.”

It’s not just their athletic talent, however, nor their hurling skills, nor even their ability to marry the two, to execute those skills at top speed, effortlessly and seamlessly. These guys are born winners, fighters, ferocious competitors. Individually and together, they embody the personality of this team - they refuse to be beaten. Against Clare in the All-Ireland semi-final, against Galway when the chips were down, The Twins were ever-present. These guys were just going to win the game, taking on the difficult shots, as if they were playing a pick-up game back in Newtown.

Ben: “Fellas must have a belief in their own ability. That’s something we’re doing every night in training below at the Park. That’s where the games are won, in training, preparing for big occasions. We’re used to doing it down there, it’s practically second nature now, get a chance and slap it over the bar.”

Jerry: “There’s no pressure, you just throw it up, hit it, hope it will carry far enough.”

There is no pressure. Even when Galway goaled halfway into the second half, when they were still hanging in there only two points down with seven minutes to go, Cork fans sweating, there was no pressure. That’s the hallmark of this Cork side, that’s the hallmark of The Twins.

Jerry: “Everyone was calm and relaxed, and when things weren’t going right for us, there was no panic, fellas just tip away. Stick with it, and you’re bound to hit a purple patch at some stage. After they got the goal, it was funny, they were the ones who seemed to go a bit flat while we went down and got a couple of points.”

On the Cork goal, the only goal chance Cork got during the game, here was Ben: “We’d been discussing that for the last few weeks; any chance at all of a goal, we were told to go for it, don’t be just happy to take the point, go for it. When I saw the ball breaking, I had my mind made up straight away. Luckily enough, I got the half a yard to get the shot in. It was nice to see it nestle in the back of the net.” Coolness personified.

Two years is all it’s taken for the nation to catch up, realise what’s been known locally as a cast-iron certainty since the early ‘90s - these guys were destined for history.

They were separated in ‘99, when Ben starred on the All-Ireland-winning team, Jerry reduced to bluffing his way into the after-match Burlington banquet. They were kept apart, blindly, foolishly, for the next few years.

Last year, finally, belatedly, they were back together with Jerry in his best position of midfield.

It is no coincidence that they’ve now put back-to-back All-Ireland titles together.

Jerry: “At times I was wondering, have I enough done here, should I move on, but you wait for your chance, and thankfully it came in a challenge game against Clare last year. Since then it hasn’t been too bad for me.”

It’s been better for Ben also. Managers can spend aeons on building understanding within a team; these two have had it forever.

Ben: “It’s always nice to have your own clubman there. From being used to playing with each other, we really know each other’s game, and now Tom (Kenny, Jerry’s midfield partner) has fallen in with us as well. The running game really suits us, in the last 15 minutes or so especially, when things tend to open up, there’s a bit more space. Fellas are able to keep going now that bit longer, because of the fitness levels. You try to get into space, and you know if you do, the ball will find you.

“There is plenty left in this team yet. We will get back to pre-season training again in December, work on from there, and hopefully this time next year we’ll be talking about three-in-a-row.”