O’Sullivan: Rebels ready for action
“Argo or Skyfall?” says the Cork corner-back. “Good question. Argo or Skyfall...”
O’Sullivan’s seen both films (his selection comes at the end of the piece) but we talked hurling before turning to DVD recommendations.)
Take Cork’s opening-night win over Tipperary.
“That was just one of those nights when everything clicked. Training could be going brutally bad but you could have a night like that anyway, and obviously it wasn’t Tipp’s best night at the office — I was told after they trained like animals all that week.
“It was a night that everything came together.”
O’Sullivan doesn’t see teams concentrating on league success as a destination rather than just part of the journey, however.
“It’s the same all the time, trying to win every game. I don’t know if teams set out every year to try to win the league specifically, you’re really trying to build experience for the championship.
“Look at Galway last year — they were in a relegation battle for Division 1 and yet they made it to an All-Ireland final. You’d certainly take that at the start of the year. Having said that, away games help a team when it comes to building spirit. You’d be only mad to go to places like Nowlan Park and Pearse Stadium, different atmosphere, you’re put up against it. They’re a great experience in that you have to rely on each other, so it does build the spirit.”
Now that O’Sullivan is in his fourth year on the panel does he see himself as an established player?
“I don’t know about that, I’d be inclined to look over my shoulder. I still find it strange to walk into the dressing-room and find it’s not a club dressing-room, for instance, that you’re dealing with different players.
“Guys like Tom Kenny and Shane O’Neill I’d see as established Cork players; I wouldn’t be at ease in that sense — not taking it for granted, I suppose, is the best way to put it.”
There’s certainly no taking anything for granted this weekend. Cork go to Nowlan Park to take on the biggest beasts around. O’Sullivan says Kilkenny are noticeably different in every way on the field.
“When they turn it on, they turn it on big-style. They’re not messing around, every ball is life or death. It seems the be-all and end-all for them, every ball; there never seems to be a handy possession for them.
“They’re totally in your face the whole time. It’s an attitude thing rather than a physical difference, I think. In terms of physical strength there’s only a few percentage points between the top teams, but Kilkenny can get it right in their head. I’d say they could be the nicest lads in the world off the field, but when the ball is thrown in... they just seem to be wired differently.
“They’re not more talkative than other teams or anything, they drive each other on as much as other teams do. In fairness they don’t do much talking to you or anything like that; what you notice is the way they click together, the way they combine — and in particular the way they react when you have the ball.
“They’re different altogether then — coming from every angle. When you work as hard as they do when they don’t have the ball, when you win the ball then it’s like a luxury, they’re almost messing because they’ve done the hard work to win it.
“And the skills they bring are fantastic. Sure the sub-keeper was one of the best forwards in the Fitzgibbon. Where would you get that?”
Then there’s you know who...
“Shefflin? Without a doubt the best player I’ve seen in my lifetime. He has what, nine All-Irelands, does it on all the big days, best for his club and his county every time he takes the field. Just an absolute legend.
“The week coming into a match with him, you’d be terrified, but as soon as you get onto the field it’s different. It’s just another game, and you’re not thinking, ‘hey, this is the greatest player of all time’. He’s just another player you have to mark.”
And the movie choice? “There’s more of a story to Argo. Go for that.”
Consider the popcorn bought.
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