Cummins lauds Ring record

BRENDAN Cummins says his appearances record at intercounty level is “not a patch” on Christy Ring’s.

The Tipperary keeper is now the most ‘capped’ inter-county hurler of all time, with 66 championship appearances for Tipperary, but ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final he paid tribute to the Cork maestro.

“It (the record) was in front of me alright but it was never really on my mind. I would have great respect for Christy Ring and what he has done.

“If you think about it, the amount of qualifiers I played in — there were no back-door systems around when he was there.

“If he lost a game in May, he was gone until the following May. That was the way it was. The way the record is now someone else will come along and break it again, so I don’t think this one is going to last as long as Christy’s one. It is not a patch on what that man has done, to be honest.”

Cummins has held his number one jersey for Tipperary despite an array of challenges. Darren Gleeson, sub ‘keeper for the last couple of years, is the latest.

“Darren has been unbelievable, even above in training he is flying and that is the way that we want it.

“Certainly it has been a help to see a goalie playing down the other end so well because it does spur you on in training and some nights he is below blocking golf balls and you are saying to yourself, ‘I better do something here’.

Cummins’ long career gives him a unique perspective on many aspects of the modern game – take the five-week break after the Munster final.

“That day down against Waterford was just unreal. I never felt anything like it. When the goals were flying in (at) the other end, you were thinking ‘what is going on here’. I am sure the Waterford players were thinking the same thing and we have taken a few hidings like that.”

Having been there in 2001, Cummins was keen to avoid the mistakes Tipp made after that All-Ireland victory.

“It was something that I had in my own head. I was looking back at the 2002 Munster final and I was like a panda bear inside in the goals.

“I was totally out of shape, so it’s something that I can recognise now. You can talk to players but it has to start with yourself as well.

“This year I put a real emphasis on being fitter than I ever had been so that when I look at myself years down the road that this All-Ireland final, whatever way it goes, I can say, ‘I was fit enough for the challenge anyway’.

“That is something that I learned from 2002. We had, subconsciously I suppose, been happy with what we done. The group of players that we have now have won minor and under-21 All-Irelands, they have grown up under the shadow of Kilkenny winning so much and they want a piece of the action.”

Is he a better goalkeeper now?

“I have added a bit more to my game thanks in no small part to Eamonn O’Shea, who really opened up my mind as to what can be done. I know people say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but Eamon managed to do that.

Does he ever reflect on the two previous finals against Kilkenny?

“I’ve watched both games. Maybe more so the ‘09 game more than last year’s to be honest, because when you win it is great but when you lose you are looking to find out what went wrong.

“They were certainly electric games, the ball was travelling along at one hundred miles an hour, and it just seems like fellas are running for the ball like a training match, for all the world — the ball just sticks, no ball is fumbled and turnovers are a huge thing.

“Possession is definitely the key because if you don’t have it, I know it is like equating hurling to soccer, but it is very hard to get the ball back. You know that Kilkenny don’t waste it, no more than we do. So if you cough up possession on a turnover it could be vital.”