Opportunity knocks for Rebels

ALAN O’CONNOR and Kevin McMahon are the only two members of Cork’s All-Ireland senior football winning squad set for action for the Rebels’ 2011 season bow in Sunday’s McGrath Cup opener against Waterford IT at Páirc Uí Rinn.

The majority of the Cork set-up jetted off to South Africa last Wednesday for their team holiday and are not due to return until January 14th. Thirty one of the 34-man panel flew to South Africa with O’Connor, McMahon and defender Ger Spillane the only non-travellers. Spillane is unavailable for the provincial pre-season clash as he is in the US and is not scheduled to return until Sunday.

In the absence of several leading lights, Cork are set to field a largely experimental team with selector Terry O’Neill set to take the managerial reins for the game.