Murphy: There’s still life in Rebels

LIKE the other 82,105 people that filled Croke Park on September 6 last year, Kieran Murphy was left spellbound by the thrilling action that unfolded on the pitch.

Kilkenny and Tipperary conjured up a stunning All-Ireland decider sharing out 47 scores between them and the Cork captain departed with a keen appreciation of the standard he and his teammates needed to aspire to.

“I was up at it and it was a great game. That is the level that you need to get, to beat these teams. In fairness to Kilkenny they’ve been setting the bar high over the past couple of years and they deservedly won the four in a rows.

“Tipp came agonisingly close in that game last year and there were periods in that game where I thought they might actually go on and win it.

“That just tells you where Tipp are at and they spent the whole pre-season trying to improve from that performance last year.

“Now we have to increase the intensity and improve the bar even higher.”

Those efforts to enhance their performance begin next Sunday in Páirc Uí Chaoimh against Tipperary.

Cork were progressing at a steadily impressive rate through this season before they collided with Galway in the league decider. Murphy admits that loss was a momentary setback for the team.

“It was like a championship loss for a day or two afterwards. We don’t make any bones about it, we wanted to win and we came away very disappointed with the manner of the defeat. We were released to the clubs for the week afterwards and that probably saved us, the change of scenery, back with your club, having the craic with the lads. We were out-hurled by Galway on the day and didn’t put Galway under enough pressure in their backline. They put our own backs under pressure and we probably didn’t have a high enough intensity in the game. They seemed to be fresher, hungrier and sharper onto the breaks ”

Murphy bats away any suggestions that the life cycle of this Cork team residing at the top is drawing to an end, with a chunk of the side that featured in the 2003 All-Ireland final reversal against Kilkenny still in situ for next Sunday’s clash.

“It’s not anything we discuss. But obviously when you see so many good young guys coming in, you’re saying to yourself there’s only a couple of years left. Up to this year I’d have seen myself as one of the younger fellas but now you turn around, see the likes of Conor O’Sullivan, Aidan Ryan and those. If anything it drives you on even more, those young lads coming onto the panel and offering more competition. It brings a freshness to it and that reflects on yourself too brings out the best in you.”

One of those Cork newcomers is not available from the start on Sunday, with a hand injury incurred in the league final against Galway ruling Michael Cussen out of the equation. Murphy is well-placed to appraise the impact of his club colleague.

“You probably saw his impact in the league final against Galway. Michael not making the game is a huge loss for us. I suppose that’s what the management wanted, to give every fella a game during the league so that they could see what replacements were there if an injury happened.”

The unpalatable scenario of defeat on Sunday would provide Cork with the unenviable record of four straight championship defeats at the hands of Tipperary. Despite the pressures associated with avoiding that prospect, Murphy is relishing the grandeur of Sunday’s game.

“It’s one of the hardest things you can do as a hurler, to lose a championship game. Obviously when it’s Tipperary and it’s one of your biggest rivals it just makes it all the more tough to take. We’re not thinking about that, we’re just thinking about going down with a positive attitude to the game. But it’s the fulfilment of all your dreams, when you’re a young fella running out into the back garden, you’re dreaming of running out on to the field playing for Cork against Tipp. Going out in front of over 40,000 people down the Park, that’s what you dream of. It’s an unbelievable buzz.”