Rebels ready for combat, insists Walsh

LAST year Denis Walsh was a spectator in Páirc Uí Chaoimh as Tipperary broke an 85-year hoodoo by seeing off Cork in the Munster championship.

Twelve months on Walsh is in the spotlight as the teams convene again at the same stage, taking up the Cork managerial reins for the first time in championship.

“I didn’t think last year I’d be manager the next time the sides met. With seven or eight minutes to go last year, Cork were only a point down. Cork played well enough in the game – they dominated the 20 minutes after half time, but they didn’t get the scores. If they got the scores then it could have been a different scenario.

“I am looking forward to this, although I’d prefer to be playing.”

Walsh’s team selection on Tuesday saw him retain plenty of the old guard, but also opt to include fresh faces. The inclusion of Aisake O hAilpín at full-forward is particularly striking.

After returning from his Aussie Rules stint, O hAilpín dabbled in both the hurling and football squads before eventually admitting defeat in trying to serving two masters.

“We saw him in a few club games and he’s like a lot of traditional Cork dual players, who ultimately prefer hurling. I’ve been in that position myself. Again, coming from Na Piarsaigh and that would be more of a hurling club. Seán Óg is involved and Setanta before him. That might have been an incentive for him when I came calling.

“I was conscious that I didn’t want to mess anyone around. I spoke to Conor (Counihan) about it. We had to be happy that we could promise him something if he was going to leave the football and that’s how it panned out.

“We spoke to Conor after he joined up with us and that’s it now – he’s with us.

“My view on that is I would like to see lads being able to play both games. But for that to happen you would have to have two people, or indeed three people, totally agreeing on the equation and that isn’t an easy thing to get.

“Tactically now, and I don’t know whether the amount of tactics now is good or bad, it means the coach needs a guy around the place. He can’t have a lad off with one team for two weeks and then just coming along – that’s the major problem.

“We would have been happy enough for him to play football, but realistically you need to give it the time. Football is a more tactical game so Conor would need to see him more often.

“And for Aisake himself, having played so little hurling for the last few years, he probably wanted to give more time to the hurling.

“He’s doing well. He has an incredible attitude. Seán Óg and Setanta are the same – they have a fierce attitude. From my point of view that’s very heartening because you can’t disrespect that and it’s good to have around.”

Cork’s team is shorn of figures who have anchored their challenge over the past decade following a spate of recent retirements. Yet Walsh argues against claims his side is inexperienced and feels they are ready for championship combat.

“We won’t be trying anyone out. If you look closely, I would say that the Tipperary team is a bit more unsettled. They played several lads in the League final a few weeks ago and they are probably asking themselves will they play them again. They’re going to have four fellas in their first team that have not played Championship hurling. Will we have four? No. So we’re probably a more experienced team than they are.

“I could be wrong, but they’ve a good few fellas that haven’t played Championship hurling.

“It’s the same as any championship game, you are going into it hoping to stay in the game as long as you can. That’s our intention.

“We want to get up to the pace of it and stay in it. If we do that we’ll have a great chance. Tipperary will be trying to do the damage early and make sure that we don’t settle into our stride. It’s a two way thing.”