Cummins hopes Tipp will get back on track

NOTHING seems to phase Brendan Cummins.

Then again, maybe it is prerequisite for standing as the last line of defence in the high-speed world of top flight hurling.

This Sunday, he and his Tipperary team-mates, still bruised from their championship derailment to Clare, continue along the qualifier track towards Pearse Stadium and a meeting with Galway.

This is the same Galway which defeated the Premier conquering Claremen in Cusack Park four weeks ago, and now have the likes of Eugene Cloonan chomping at the bit.

Despite the scenario, Cummins remains cool, composed and pragmatic about the task at hand.

“Despite what happened to us in Munster, we still retain high aspirations of winning the All-Ireland and any county with that aspiration should have no fear of playing any other county in their quest for glory,” the Ballybacon/Grange clubman said.

Cummins agrees that the task of facing Galway on their home turf with huge local support is a difficult one, but that has been softened somewhat by the return from suspension of defender Eamon Corcoran.

“However, we must now get on with playing the hand of cards we’ve been dealt and with the return of

Eamonn Corcoran after his three month enforced lay off we can go into Sunday’s game in a confident frame of mind.”

Added Cummins: “The availability of Corcoran provides the whole team with a massive boost, both physically and psychologically.”

The dual star admitted that their first game in the qualifier series against Laois gave every player the opportunity to compose themselves after what he described as the “Clare debacle” in the first round of the Munster championship campaign.

“The Laois game may not have told us a lot about ourselves but it did help to restore confidence, and that’s vitally importance having to face the Galway lion in his own den on Sunday,” he said.

“We got off the mark early against Laois and the game was over after 20 minutes.

“Confidence was low after the Clare defeat and maybe a few of our players started to doubt themselves a small bit and wondered were they really good enough.”

Cummins witnessed Galway first hand in the NHL earlier this year in Thurles, and was impressed by what he saw and by the work done under Conor Hayes.

“They were extremely pacey and had no obvious weaknesses throughout the field,” he said.

However, he believes this latest chapter in the razor keen rivalry between the counties will go right down to the wire.

“I would expect that there will be only a point or two separating the sides, and hopefully the slender advantage will be with us,” Cummins said.

He has made a strong appeal to Tipp fans to travel in force to Pearse Stadium for the game.

“Galway will obviously have huge support and it would be nice to know that we too are not without backing in what will be very unfamiliar surroundings for our team,” said Cummins.

“We have great respect for our fans and they turned out in force for the Laois game despite the painful memories of our defeat by Clare.

“We will need their support more than ever on Sunday and I’m sure they’ll not let us down.”