Ben O'Connor: 'Limerick are the team to beat, they have been for the last ten years'

O'Connor said Cork increasing their work-rate, along with having a slight breeze behind them in the second half, helped his side win Sunday's arm-wrestle with Tipperary

Cork manager Ben O'Connor said the victory over Tipperary has not lifted any pressure off his side going into the clash with Limerick. Pic: ©INPHO/James Lawlor

There is no pause between a question being asked of Ben O’Connor and the Cork manager issuing his reply. No pondering of what’s been put to him. No hesitation. His stream of consciousness is a tap that only flows at full strength. There is no gentle turning of the faucet.

Deep into his post-match interview after victory over Tipperary, we asked Ben if the bagging of two points in Thurles removed any pressure ahead of Limerick’s visit this Sunday. After all, the doomsday scenario of being pointless following seven days of championship action in the company of the All-Ireland and League champions had been avoided at the first fence.

“No, no pressure off at all,” the manager immediately shot back.

“We're at home to the All-Ireland champions-elect, league champions, so we're treating that as the next big game, which it is.

“Today was a big game, we played the All-Ireland champions. We're going in next week and Limerick are the team to beat, they have been for the last ten years.

“It was tongue-in-cheek there with the last comment [about Limerick as champions-elect], but they are the best team in the country for the last ten years and we know that we'll have to do our best to put it up to Limerick next weekend.” 

No pressure removed and no change of approach in how they plan for Limerick now that they are going in as Round 1 winners.

“No, no change at all. We know we'll have to improve a lot from today. But look, we have a chance of doing that. We'll get back to work during the week, and we'll work on a few more bits and pieces. And hopefully next Sunday, we'll get two points.” 

Ben O'Connor: "When the call was at its greatest, I thought Rob [Downey] was controlling everything." Pic: ©INPHO/James Lawlor

How, in his opinion, did a game that was level on eight occasions become a game Cork led by seven on 56 minutes? How did Tipp’s stalemate position at half-time become a scenario of no home score from play in the first 29 minutes of the second period.

“We probably upped the work rate a little bit. And I think there was a slight breeze helping us in the second half. The ball's probably travelling an extra 15 or 20 yards, so we were on the front foot.

“Plus, we were winning a lot of the individual battles. We were playing on the front foot at that stage, where maybe at times before that, we were striking the ball going backwards.

“There's a lot at stake in these matches and when you go away from home, there's extra pressure. You're playing the All-Ireland champions, so that's an extra pressure again, but when we got our purple patch, we got a couple of scores, and I don't think we ever looked like losing the game from then on.

“Everyone was very good out there, but when the call was at its greatest, I thought Rob [Downey] was controlling everything. He was telling every fella where to go and where to move. Then again, I wouldn’t expect anything else out of him.” 

Can anyone say, Ben included, that they expected the debutants - Barry Walsh and William Buckley - to show up to such an extent that they amassed nine from play between them. The manager’s faith was repaid handsomely.

“We pick our teams based on the performances in training. Them fellas have stepped up. Anything that we asked of them so far in the league and training, they've come up trumps for us.

“Whether they're 22 or 32, it makes no difference. We're just delighted that the two of them came up trumps for themselves going forward, which is a great confidence boost.” 

A minus, and we’ll be accused of nit picking here, was the lack of a green flag waved and the engineering of only two green flag openings.

Again, there was no hesitation from Ben when this was pointed out to him.

“Once we're winning on points, I don't care if we don't get a goal for the rest of the year, once we can score more points than the opposition.

“Obviously, we'd like to get four or five goals a game but, look, it didn't happen today, it hasn't happened the last couple of days, but some day it will.”