Jamesie O'Connor column: Cork are backed into a corner - will they come out fighting?
Friday 17 May 2019 17:44, UK
Sky Sports analyst Jamesie O'Connor looks ahead to the weekend's hurling action, which features four huge games across the Munster and Leinster Championships.
Cork v Limerick
What a massive game this becomes now for Cork after their loss to Tipperary last Sunday. It would be a nightmare scenario to be in where you have played two and lost two.
Certainly, they can have no complaints about last weekend. They conceded 2-28 against Tipp, you could not be happy with that defensively. The Cork forwards, you feel will always put up a tally. But that's not going to be good enough to take them into the business end of the championship.
Going to a packed Gaelic Grounds with a hostile atmosphere, their backs will be against the wall. It will be a big ask to turn it around.
Limerick's home win over Tipp last year was a big, big positive that sparked their summer. It was a huge boost for their confidence last year, and they will want to pick up from where they left off.
How motivated will Cork be? Sometimes when you are really backed into a corner, that's when you find out what's in a team. Cork have plenty of pain and motivation to take from last year. They were minutes away from being in the All-Ireland final, and could have won it.
Cork beat the Treaty in the league when Limerick looked unbeatable. Limerick had beaten Kilkenny and Tipperary comprehensively.
John Meyler and his management team will have ideas about how to go and beat Limerick. I still think Cork cannot expect to defend like that and expect to get away with it. There has to be a tangible improvement defensively if the Rebels are going to get something out of this game.
Tipperary v Waterford
It was evident right from throw-in last week there was a crispness and a sharpness about Tipperary. Callanan was incredibly sharp, as was Bubbles O'Dwyer. There is such a high level of skill in that forward line. When they are on, when the passes are sticking and when they are free-wheeling when they did last Sunday, they are very easy on the eye.
Eamon O'Shea is back involved. Combined with Tommy Dunne, that's some coaching ticket. There's just a sense that they're going for it. If there's a smell of a goal chance, they're taking it. Even Bubbles at the end for John McGrath's goal, he could have easily had tapped that ball over the bar.
It was a really impressive start, but there comes a caveat. They have to come down from that high now against a Waterford team that are coming off disappointment and know their season is hanging by a thread.
The Déise have to find a way to get their big players more involved. Jamie Barron and Tadhg de Burca did not play well last weekend, they did not have the impact that Waterford needed them to have.
In 2004, Anthony Daly's first year as Clare manager, Waterford absolutely tanked us in Thurles. We were heading down in great form, everything in the camp was great, but we just did not turn up. I remember him saying, 'you've got to come to the fight ready to fight'.
There was an element of that, maybe Waterford just turned up expecting it to happen last week in Walsh Park, rather than making it happen. Whereas the Banner had that urgency from the off.
After playing well, can Tipp back it up seven days later? There's probably more mileage on the Tipperary clock than the Waterford clock. So this is by no means a foregone conclusion.
I do not think this is going to be a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination.
Dublin v Wexford
It looks like three teams from Kilkenny, Galway, Wexford and Dublin will go through in Leinster. The Sky Blues' margin for error has been eroded significantly after their loss in Kilkenny.
Liam Rushe was injured against the Cats, and if he does not play, it's a massive hole in Dublin's chances because he's so important to them. He won a few penalties, he gives them a focal point in that attack. I just do not know if Dublin are capable of winning that without him.
Wexford are coming in fresh, but Parnell Park is not an easy place to go. There will be a real sense of urgency for Dublin. Their season again could be over before it starts. I think if they can play to the level they did in the first half last week, they are certainly good enough to win.
Wexford's league ended with a loss to Galway. They put themselves in a great position at half-time and then it all went pear-shaped.
I just do not know if playing with a sweeper, in order to beat the bigger teams, is the right thing.
They are a decent side. Are they a top-four side? I do not think so. If they were in Munster, would I fancy them to come out? I do not think so. Are they good enough to beat Dublin at the weekend? Absolutely.
For me, it hinges on whether Rushe plays. If he does not play, I think Wexford win. If he does, I think Wexford will be doing very, very well to come out of it with a result.
Carlow v Kilkenny
Carlow's performance against Galway was encouraging. They played well, gave a really, really good account of themselves. The challenge what Offaly found tough last year is backing that up seven days later. But look who's coming to town. It's not in Kilkenny's DNA to take it easy. Kilkenny do not know any other way than full pelt.
Hurling people everywhere would love to see Carlow back it up and be competitive again this weekend.
