Shane hopes Cork up to speed

Speed is king in modern hurling, we’re told. Cork manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy certainly acknowledged the difference in pace when his side took on a Division 1A side in Tipperary recently, and one of his defenders thought the same.

“I’d agree with Jimmy,” says Shane O’Neill.

“I didn’t play so it was my first game watching Cork in a while, and I noticed the pace. You can play all the friendlies in the world but it’s not the same as a top game when there’s something at stake.

“In the first 15, 20 minutes you were almost thinking it was a matter of damage limitation at that stage, but the lads turned it around and got back into it. But definitely there was a finding-your-feet period at the start: we’ve had a few friendlies since the end of the league and we’ll be hoping that those get us up to speed.

“I wouldn’t say we were off the pace, but we certainly got a reminder of what was needed for the championship.”

Cork won promotion from Division 1B but didn’t excel in doing so. O’Neill acknowledges that point but broadens the discussion.

“I think there’s always going to be a perception in any sport that if a team drops from one division to a lower division they’re expected to win by good margins all the time, or to perform very well all the time.

“Our first game in the league this year, against Limerick, didn’t go according to plan, with a draw, though it could have been a lot worse if we’d lost, but if you’d said to me then that we’d win all our other games and got back up, I’d have bitten your arm off.

“I knew those were all going to be difficult games – for us and for Limerick – and Jimmy [Barry-Murphy] was right to say we didn’t shine in those games. There were patches here and there of 15 minutes, 20 minutes max, that we were good, but the challenge for us now is to put together 40 or 50 minutes like that, or more.

“We need to be more consistent because that kind of patchy display just won’t do on Sunday. We know that we need to perform for the whole game, or say 60 minutes at least.”

Because of their experience in 1B, O’Neill and his colleagues won’t read too much into the relegation of Waterford this season.

“Going back to this time last year, when we were relegated, it was disappointing because while it mightn’t impact on the 2013 season, we knew we wouldn’t get as competitive a run of games this year.

“But looking at 2013, the All-Ireland semi-finalists were ourselves, Dublin, Clare and Limerick, none of whom made the league final last year. It’s definitely becoming a more competitive playing field in recent years whereas it was more one-sided for a few years.

“That’s great for spectators, obviously, even if it mightn’t suit the players as much – the games are more exciting, harder to call.

“In the Munster championship last year we weren’t favourites to beat Clare, then we were favourites to beat Limerick, who weren’t favourites against Tipperary... a lot of upsets, if you think about it.”

Cork have shaken things up this year, with Kieran Kingston taking over as coach from the departed Ger Cunningham.

“Kieran did some of the training when Ger [Cunningham] needed a hand last year. But it’s not rocket science in the sense that a lot of inter-county training – hurling and football – has gone back to basics in terms of skills and drills in recent years.

“Kieran’s very demanding, puts a lot of emphasis on the basics of winning ball, striking, and so on, it’s very enjoyable from that point of view, but you’d have no trouble sleeping the night after one of those sessions, put it that way.”

O’Neill doesn’t necessarily agree that Waterford have an inexperienced team facing Cork tomorrow.

“We know ourselves about new players, look at the likes of Conor Lehane and Seamus Harnedy, who came in brilliantly for us last year.

“You’re always going to have two or three changes per season, you need some new blood every year – Alan Cadogan has provided that for us this year, for instance – and I wouldn’t read the Waterford team that was named as being very inexperienced.

“Going back to when I came onto the panel, it certainly took me a while to get used to the whole package – minding yourself, training, diet – whereas as a minor and U21 there isn’t the same emphasis on your physical well-being, say. It took me a while to get used to it but we had, and have, strong leaders to guide those young guys through and I’m sure it’s the same in Waterford.

“And that’s all you need, just a few lads to guide the new players through it, though the important thing, the priority, has to be to get yourself right, your fitness, your touch, coming up to the championship.

“In the league you can help some of the younger lads with various things, but you’ve got to get yourself right first and hope that’s an example for them rather than holding their hand.”