‘Hero’ ready to finally take centre stage for Cork

FINALLY Cork captain Kieran Murphy is centre stage for a Rebel-Déise clash.

For far too long the 23-year-old feels he’s watched from the stands or kicked his heels in envy from the dug-out as hurling’s newest, most riveting rivalry grabbed the imagination of the GAA fraternity over the last four years.

A season doesn’t seem to pass when Cork and Waterford fail to produce an epic and former Cork coach John Allen might have had this most remarkable of modern rivalries in mind when once describing hurling as “the great unscripted drama”.

Sunday’s 70 minute one-off play should not disappoint, and Murphy wouldn’t mind playing his part. As team captain he’ll be under more intense scrutiny than others, but is likely to be found more “right field” when Anthony Nash launches puck-outs down his wing.

But to be at the centre of hurling’s most alluring of rivalries is where he wants to be.

“I’ve been watching too many Cork/Waterford games over the last few years. It’s going to be good to be in the thick of it. The one thing about Waterford and Cork games is they’ve always been tough games and what you are likely to encounter is hard and determined work on the ball.

“These are intense tussles but I’m looking forward to being part of it.”

His debut outing as Cork captain against Clare in the first round of the Munster Championship passed without much fuss, though newspaper commentators like Clare’s Davy Fitzgerald questioned the wisdom of handing Murphy this role.

The first round was always going to be a daunting arena for the one they call ‘Hero’, but three points and a solid all round display was no bad return for the Erin’s Own clubman.

Captaincy is a role he is happy to fulfil but never for one moment does he believe he’s guaranteed his place, stressing that the success of the team comes before individual ambition. It’s apparent anyhow in the Cork camp that any associated pressures with the captaincy on his young shoulders is alleviated by the presence of a number of natural leaders with a plentiful supply of Celtic Crosses dangling in their pockets.

“I was happy to get the monkey (first championship game as captain) off my back. I was happy enough with my first half performance though I could have done better in the second half. But it’s a team effort. If I played well and we lost, I wouldn’t have been happy. It’s all about winning the games.

“Having said all that though, I find captaincy a little bit nerve-wracking. Then again you can’t be too conscious of it because with so many games and training sessions, you don’t have time to sit back and think about the whole captaincy thing. You’re training three or four nights a week and you don’t get the chance to sit back and think about it. Overall though it has been a grand smooth transition for me from player to the captaincy role.”

Perhaps his role as of captain will be extended on Sunday given the suspensions meted out to some of the team’s natural leaders, none carrying a bigger aura than Donal Og Cusack. The build up to Cork’s biggest game so far this season hasn’t been ideal pockmarked by the ‘Semplegate’ saga. But, Murphy contends that having played a championship game — unlike Waterford – is bound to carry some weight come throw-in on Sunday.

“The Clare game has been handy. Waterford got their extra game in the National League final so it was good to get out and get the Clare game in. We came out with a lot of positives from our first half performance, and when Clare put it up to us in the second half we did respond and put the foot down again. There’ll be no slackening off on Sunday, no room for taking the foot off the pedal. Hopefully we’ll stay focused and pull through.

“That’s where the extra game came in handy to us. We’re aware we do have weaknesses like every team, and we need to focus in on them and drive forward to pull out victories.”

There are those who contend that Cork’s status as underdogs can be a plus but Murphy doesn’t ascribe too much importance to such labels. It will be a close affair whether or not the Rebels go in as favourites, he says.

“It doesn’t really matter. We’re going into the game expecting to win; Waterford are doing the same. I think that there’ll only be a puck of a ball between us and hopefully we’ll come out on the right side of things. Hopefully we’ll get the breaks on the day.”

And if Waterford are the people’s favourites to conquer on all fronts this year, then Murphy says that Cork are collectively driven to atone for the hurt of last season’s All Ireland loss.

“There is no bigger motivation than losing an All-Ireland final. You can either lie down or get back up and start fighting and that’s what we’re doing this year. Hopefully it will stand to us. Waterford want an All-Ireland, but so do we.”