Cusack: It was a very important game for us

IF anyone sought to dilute the significance for Cork of yesterday’s Munster SHC triumph against Tipperary, then goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack’s post-match thoughts provided a firm rebuttal.

The school of thought before this game that the days of these Cork players challenging the hurling elite were gone, was recognised within the Cork dressing-room and as Cusack revealed brought into sharp focus how key this tussle with Tipperary was.

“It was a very important game for us as men and as a group together. Maybe it was said beforehand that a lot of these guys are pushing on a bit. We put it up to ourselves that everything was going to be on the line today and it was just very important to us. I’m just delighted for everybody. Like every inter-county team, they put a lot in over the winter and we had forgotten what that feeling of joy after a game feels like; it’s something we’re going to savour for a couple of hours and then get back to it.”

Wing-back John Gardiner sung from the same hymn sheet.

“To be truthful we didn’t expect to win by that much but the performance was the most pleasing aspect of the whole thing. It is hard for fellas to take sometimes before a game and they are training away, some fellas are saying they are over the top and writing them off really. I suppose fellas use it to their advantage. All the big guns came out and performed. Ronan Curran was outstanding, came out and caught six or seven balls in the second half. Sean Óg driving on and fellas had him written off so it was very pleasing from that aspect.”

It was an afternoon where Cork’s experienced core illustrated they can still tap into strong championship play but also one where other players came to the fore. Cusack may have been at the opposite end of the pitch to Aisake O’hAilpín but he was still able to appreciate the seismic influence that the Na Piarsaigh player exerted.

“I’m very happy for him. He’s a fierce committed man. That man was away for a good few years playing a different game in another country. I’m just delighted for him as a person to come back and play for Cork. I know a good friend of all of ours (Setanta) would have been watching that game and for them as people, I’m delighted. It means a lot for him.”

“I’m just delighted for him”, said Gardiner. “Another fella that was written off before the game, nasty enough things said about him, like that he wouldn’t perform and so on. You’d hear rumours on the street so you’d be delighted for fellas like that. Within the group we knew there were performances in these big guys. We were going to be written off anyway because of our last couple of games against Tipperary. But we are under no illusions where we stand, there is a lot of hard work still to be done if we are going to go on and do things this year. But it was a good start today.”