Jimmy Barry-Murphy: Cork rebels must rise to occasion

Cork manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy is concerned by the growing tendency of his team to flop on the big occasion.

Cork were a poor second in last month’s Allianz league final, the 1-24 to 0-17 hammering at the hands of this Sunday’s opponents, Waterford, raising doubts over the team’s ability to deliver at the business end of competition. The defeat was a near carbon copy of last August’s All-Ireland semi-final crushing to Tipperary.

“It is [a worry they didn’t play in the league final], and that has been a factor over the last couple of years,” admitted the Cork hurling boss.