Cork v Limerick: Pat Ryan always believed in Rebels’ ability to beat top teams

The bookmakers have tomorrow’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final between Limerick and Cork rated in similar fashion to the 2021 final between the counties.

Limerick won that match by 16 points and are 1/3 shots tomorrow, just as they were back then. In a way, it’s not surprising – the Shannonsiders have not lost there since the 2019 semi-final against Kilkenny – but it will surely be a closer encounter than three years ago.

While Cork’s form has dipped in the recent wins over Offaly and Dublin, they do come in having beaten Limerick by a point at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

When asked if it gives confidence knowing that such a side can be beaten, Cork manager Pat Ryan also makes the valid point that they played just as well against Limerick at TUS Gaelic Grounds last year but coming out on the wrong side of fine margins left them eliminated from the championship.

“From our point of view, the belief in beating any team was never in question,” he says.

“At the same time, when you come against these top teams you know that they’re huge asks.

‘They bring a huge wealth of experience and a huge knowledge of what they’re doing, in their preparation and the whole lot.

‘We performed excellently against them last year in the championship and obviously got over the line against them this year. In fairness, I think the difference between the games against them over the last two years in the championship is that we got a bit of luck in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and we didn’t get that bit of luck in the Gaelic Grounds.

“A bounce of the ball here or there is probably what’s going to be the difference again on Sunday.”

In order to be in the hunt, Cork must first tick the box regarding non-negotiables.

“Lots of things are made about strategy and what you do here and what you do there,” Ryan said.

“The most important strategy, the times that we’ve played Limerick and the times that we’ve played well, has been our consistent performance around our attitude and our effort.

“We probably went out with similar plans against Offaly and Dublin but that focus, that commitment to really work to the plan and what you’re being asked to do, was probably missing.

“That’s what the best teams do, over and over again, is that they have the exact same attitude and their workrate is at a huge level. We’re going to need that.

“If you really analyse the games where we played well this year – against Clare for 50-odd minutes, or for the whole game really but just that we were a man down, against Limerick and Tipperary, our workrate has been sky-high.

“That’s where it needs to be and if we can bring that, we’ll be right there.”

It will take an upping of performance from the last two matches, but Ryan believes in his team.

“It’ll take a much better performance than what we’ve given all year to beat Limerick in an All-Ireland semi-final,” he said.

“We feel that the lads are in a good space. Obviously, you get certain things being made out of games where we fellas mightn’t play as well but we’re just focusing on winning.

“As I said after one of those games, we’ve had a load of matches in the last 18 months where we’ve played excellent and they’ve been classics but we’ve lost them. Winning a couple of games that were dour affairs is good, too.

“In fairness, we’ve trained great since the Dublin game, a few good sessions and fellas are in great form.

“Obviously, the lads know that things are going up a level now and they’re bringing their preparation up a level, too.”