Cork are stuck in Munster mentality, says Rebel legend Ó hAilpín
Sean Óg Ó hAilpín has bemoaned Cork’s recent difficulties in Croke Park and suggested that John Meyler’s side would have “hammered” Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final had the game been transplanted back to Munster.
Lest anyone still not know what went down when the counties met in HQ late last month: Cork were six points to the good with eight minutes of regulation time to be played and lost by four at the back end of extra-time.
It was a bitter blow to the Rebels who, under Kieran Kingston 12 months earlier, had fallen considerably shorter of Waterford at the last four stage. As was the case this time, Cork did so on the back of a successful provincial campaign.
Ó hAilpín was lavish in his praise for the county side this year, praising the manner in which they took care of business in Munster and ranking them alongside some of the best Cork sides he has supported and played with.
But… “What kind of disappoints me more is if that semi-final game was down in Thurles against Limerick under the Munster Championship guise, they would have hammered Limerick. I don’t have the answers. I’m still trying to work it out.
That you have that same team, same players, and when they get here (to Croke Park) in a semi-final and the mettle is put to them, you just don’t see the same team from a month before in the Munster Championship.
“They need to work more on that because it seems to be the graveyard round for Cork. Getting to semi-finals is no issue now. Winning semi-finals was, up to a certain point, no issue, Jesus, Cork teams when they got here, if they got a sniff of whatever, they were going for it.”
The manner in which Cork let it slip clearly hurts. Ó hAilpín warned that the core of players on the panel from the 2013 All-Ireland final may not get a better chance to reach the decider again.
He pointed to Tipperary and Waterford by way of example. One a league finalist this year, the other an All-Ireland finalists 12 months ago. Neither even made it beyond the Munster Championship in 2018.
As for Sunday, he’s more emphatic than most about where he suspects Liam MacCarthy will be spending the winter. The three-time All-Ireland winner hasn’t seen anyone play better hurling than Galway this year. He can’t see them losing now.
And, while Limerick boast plenty of schools, colleges, minor and U21 All-Ireland medals, the former Cork dual star insists that there simply isn’t anything to prepare a player for the intensity and drama of an All-Ireland senior final.
Galway’s know-how of being here last year is huge. Having been in that situation myself, when you’re here for the first time you realise you’re just a puppet on the stage. Your second, third year, you just get on with business.
“Even the fella knocking on your door three times telling you to get out can spook you. The coach is trying to get his last message across and the knock comes from the steward. That’s not his problem but stuff like that can unsettle you.
“So I’m going for Galway, just about.”
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