Cashel manager explains decision to rest hurlers in Munster football semi-final

Cashel play Watergrasshill in the Munster IHC final next Saturday.

Sat, 23 Nov, 2024 - 16:23

Therese O’Callaghan

Cashel King Cormacs manager TJ Connolly explained the reason behind the decision not to play their hurlers in Saturday’s Munster club JFC semi-final after their chastening

4-23 to 1-2 defeat to Kilmurry.

“We are out in the hurling final next Saturday (against Watergrasshill). Our main game in Cashel is hurling and we set out at the start of the year to win a county final obviously, but we’ve progressed now to the Munster (intermediate) final so we had to keep an eye on that as well,” he said.

“We had to make big decisions today of which one we were going to try and win. We spared players to try and give the hurling our best shot.

“We played probably two fringe players from the hurling panel who would be close enough to the team. We didn’t play any of the other hurlers because we trained last night and we have a few niggles here and there. Especially on this surface (4G), we have never played on this kind of surface. You just have to be careful.

“They’re not excuses, we just have an eye on next Saturday.”

Neither was it their intent to devalue the fixture.

“Look, we’re not degrading the competition, it is just we had to make those big decisions. We don’t have the strength and depth enough to play both football and hurling at the level that’s required at the moment.

“We were nominated to play in Munster, that’s the way.

“Not every team in the country is like Loughmore or like Cuala or those teams. They’re at it every second week, we haven’t done that in our history. It is something we have to look at going forward.

“So, well done to the boys in Kilmurry, a super football team. I presume this is their number one game and they will take a bit of beating in the competition.

“Now we turn our focus to tomorrow morning, getting back to recovery and getting into next week for training and our focus for Watergrasshill next Saturday.

“Again, we’re not degrading the competition or our panel of players. They’re very strong minded players. We’ve got a right trimming there but as I say, our focus will quickly turn to next week.”