Knockers don’t bother Damien Cahalane

Damien Cahalane on hurling tactics and dealing with the online critics...

The mood is very different now in Cork compared to a few weeks ago. When the county hurlers shipped a second defeat to Waterford in the Munster championship, having already lost to the Déise in the league final, there was a pall on Leeside.

Now, after two championship wins, a dazzling shoot-out against Wexford and a thriller to edge out Clare, the clouds have parted and the sun is out.

Damien Cahalane laughs when you point this out but acknowledges a change of mood in the hurlers’ camp as well.

“After losing the second Waterford game, the championship game, there was a new focus in training. It was a realisation, ‘right, this is the route we have to go now; it’s going to be really tough, we have a tough draw’.

“There was a new focus. After the last two wins, though, it’s really reinforced the belief in what we’re doing in training. The next day . . . we know how good Galway are. We know we’ve a tough day ahead.” Still, positives have been mined from their last outings, both the driving finish against the Banner and the defensive resilience shown in Wexford Park.

“There was a feelgood factor after the Clare game. Fellas were pumped. There was probably a sense of relief among the players to have put together the performance we were looking for. We know when we play well and apply ourselves, when we work hard,we can be a good team. We know we’ve shown that in flashes, so it was good to get 60/70 minutes out of ourselves that we knew was there.

“Against Wexford, I know it’s a cliche, but that match was always going to be the game of two halves. Most people probably didn’t realise that down on the field there was a very strong breeze.

“We knew well before the game that there was going to be a major physical challenge in Wexford, that they were going to get stuck into us, and after the first half with the wind, we knew the challenge they’d give us when they had the breeze. The important thing was not to concede goals, which we didn’t, so there was a satisfaction in that, even if it was a different kind of satisfaction to what we felt after the Clare game.” Manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy has stressed the importance of preventing goals and Cork have deployed Mark Ellis to protect the full-back in their last two games.

“The beauty of the game at the moment is that you have to be comfortable playing in a lot of different positions,” says Cahalane.

“I think it’s good for us we have a lot of players who can do that.We’ve been focusing on getting this game-plan right, and when it comes off — and we work hard with it — it works well. We have to keep working on it, though. It’s important to try to perfect it.

“There’s no doubt when we play well we have some of the best hurlers in the country, everybody says that. It’s a matter of getting everybody to work hard, to play to the same system, and I’d feel that in the last two games in particular fellas have been working hard, putting in the blocks, the tackles, the hooks.

“Within the team there are players who look up to other players. The last day Patrick Horgan really took on that leadership role, he stood up as a leader, and there are more fellas like that on the team — it’s a matter of balancing their individual play with what the team needs, but that’s the challenge for every team.”

Waterford are the team credited with inspiring teams to set up differently. Cahalane acknowledges the influence on Cork’s approach of Derek McGrath’s side, and, in particular their attacking from deep.

“Is it noticeable? I suppose it is. Since we played them we’ve probably worked a little harder on our approach to games, and we’re probably set up a little better.

“Their (Waterford) approach is probably not unlike football in that they have players coming from deep; they attack from deep and run at you. It’s all about getting fellas used to picking up the players running through from deep, and that’s something we’ve been working on — seeing those things happen on the field and reacting to them as players.

“They’ve worked hard on their system and it’s worked well for them. In the Munster final Tipp counteracted it well in what was a very tactical game.” It’s back to the same venue as that Munster final tomorrow, of course: “Wherever the draw sends you, you’ll go, we’re not going to complain about venues — Semple Stadium, Croke Park, those are top class venues. It’s no hardship to be playing in Thurles, the home of hurling and so forth, but Croke Park is a beautiful surface, a great venue too.

“We’re not worried about the venue and I’m sure Galway are the same. You’re not going to refuse to play in an All-Ireland quarter-final because you’d prefer a different venue, after all.” What has been a worry to some observers is the abuse visited on Cahalane on some social media sites; anonymous cowards sought a target after the Waterford defeat and picked the St Finbarr’s man.

“I don’t really concern myself with the opinions of people outside the group, without being small-minded.

“It’s something I’ve always prided myself on — having trained as hard as I can, having put in an absolute 100% effort and having kept myself in the best possible shape.

“At the end of the day, if people want to criticise me they can do so, but it’s not a concern of mine. It won’t stop me doing what I love, which is playing hurling, or from doing what I have to do, which is training hard and giving the maximum effort. I’d be concerned if comments came from our management team, but they’re not. It’s not something that concerns me in comparison with my family, who might feel it’s criticism which might get to me. But it’s not and it doesn’t. I brush it off. I have my family, my friends, my teammates and management team. They’re the important people.”

Galway loom large tomorrow.

Cahalane identifies the power that the westerners can deploy as a big advantage for them.

“I’ve seen a few of their games, they’re very impressive. They have some of the top players in the game and if they click they’re a top, top team. They’ve gotten rid of that inconsistent tag and now I think they’re the team everybody expected them to become. If you saw them playing Kilkenny in the Leinster final then you have a good idea of what they bring to the table — their stats in terms of the hits they put in, their commitment, their physicality and ability, those are all impressive.

“We know we’ll have to be at the top of our game to challenge them the next day, but you know what? If you’re not playing the top teams in the championship then why are you there at all? You have to look forward to those games as well, and to measuring yourself against the best.

“They’re probably different to Clare, who are no small team, but Galway are probably the biggest side, physically, left in the championship. Dublin and Kilkenny are very strong too, but Galway are very strong.

“Will that require a change of approach? We’ll have to see. Whatever game plan management come up with, we’ll trust in that.”