Cork v Limerick: What the Rebels need to go right to win at Croke Park

Sunday’s visit to Croke Park represents a rare chance to defeat the reigning All-Ireland champions for a second time, within championship environs, in the same calendar year.

Pat Ryan and his backroom team have earned that opportunity. Rebounding from Munster SHC defeats to Waterford and Clare, Ryan’s side has embarked on a run of victories that’s re-energised the county’s hurling supporters and raised hopes of a first All-Ireland final appearance in three years.

That 3-32 to 1-22 loss to Limerick in the 2021 decider may or may not have been mentioned in the buildup to Sunday’s clash. Yet, it is a timely reminder of John Kiely’s side’s capabilities when it comes to the business end of the senior hurling championship. Limerick are a different beast when they get to Jones Road.

You can be sure Limerick’s manager has referred to the county’s previous meeting in this year’s Munster SHC. Not that his history-chasing panel require any extra motivation but that two-point loss on a balmy May evening at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh still rankles on Shannonside.

The Cork hurlers know what’s coming. They know they have to produce their best performance of the season. Anything less and Cork’s season ends. Simple as that.

True, momentum may have been lost since the conclusion of the provincial championships but recent encounters with Offaly and Dublin still had to be safely negotiated.

While both performances were far from perfect, Cork achieved their immediate goal of reaching Croke Park and contesting an All-Ireland semi-final. The question is, can the Rebels find the additional 20 or even 25% performance improvement needed to dethrone the current All-Ireland champions?

Thankfully, there are positive signs for Pat Ryan to build upon over the past number of weeks, not least the form of some of his key players.

Declan Dalton was at his marauding best against Dublin, contributing six points but also getting through a huge amount of work alongside an equally effective Seamus Harnedy and Shane Barrett. The latter’s ability to create scoring chances as well as adding to his recent haul of 1-4 against Offaly will be crucial against Limerick.

Patrick Horgan’s consistency has been one of the biggest plus points for Pat Ryan this year. 1-9 against Tipperary, 1-10 against Offaly and 0-10 against Dublin underlines the full-forward’s unerring shooting ability. True, more than half of those scores have come from placed sliotars but Horgan’s work-rate and confident movement off the ball continue to open up space for the likes of Alan Connolly and Brian Hayes to exploit.

DIP

Connolly’s form has been the subject of plenty of debate in the run-up to Sunday’s semi-final. 

Pat Ryan has publicly backed the Blackrock forward but Cork’s manager will have noted Shane Kingston and Robbie O’Flynn’s contributions off the bench in recent outings.

Could Kingston or O’Flynn start ahead of Alan Connolly this weekend? Possibly as both have been pushing hard for a place in the first fifteen. Neither would weaken the side if selected from the start. Connolly, who has been suffering from a bug, has earned the right to repay his manager’s trust.

Robert Downey’s withdrawal from the quarter-final victory over Dublin saw Ciarán Joyce slot into the centre-back role. Joyce’s ability to burst out of defence and deliver quality ball for the Cork forward line to collect will be vital on Sunday. The same is true of Joyce’s fellow half-backs Tim O’Mahony and Mark Coleman or a returning Downey.

Delivery of quality ball and gaining primary possession from restarts have been recurring themes for the Cork senior hurlers since their faltering start to the provincial championship. In that regard, goalkeeper Patrick Collins’ successful puck-out distribution – 79% against Tipperary, 53% against Offaly and 70% against Dublin – needs to hit the high-70s mark in the face of an expected Limerick press.

For all the positivity surrounding Cork’s renaissance under Pat Ryan and his backroom team, Limerick start as favourites on Sunday. Rightly so, but then everyone is an underdog when facing the best hurling team of the current era.

Hopefully, the Cork players can tap into the muscle memories of their thrilling Munster SHC victory over Limerick.

Irrespective of the outcome, it has been a hugely positive year for Pat Ryan and his players.