CORK HAVE MADE four changes from last Friday’s McGrath Cup final win for next Sunday’s Allianz league opener against Mayo.
After that victory over Clare, manager Peadar Healy has shaken his side up for the Division 1 game in Páirc Uí Rinn.
Jamie O’Sullivan comes into the defence at corner-back instead of Kieran Histon, who drops to the bench, while the other three changes are in attack.
Andrew O’Sullivan and Luke Connolly are named to start in the wing-forward slots and Peter Kelleher gets the nod to play at the edge of the square. Those three players all came on as substitutes against the Banner.
Kevin O’Driscoll, Ruairi Deane and Dan McEoin are the players to drop out of the attack.
There’s only seven survivors from the Cork team that started in last July’s All-Ireland qualifier loss to Kildare – Ken O’Halloran, Colm O’Driscoll, Eoin Cadogan, Jamie O’Sullivan, James Loughrey, Mark Collins and Paul Kerrigan.
Cork
1. Ken O Halloran (Bishopstown)
2. Colm O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
3. Eoin Cadogan (Douglas)
4. Jamie O’Sullivan (Bishopstown)
5. Tomas Clancy (Fermoy)
6. Brian O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
7. James Loughrey (Mallow)
8. Ian Maguire (St Finbarrs)
9. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
10. Andrew O’Sullivan (Castletownbere)
11. Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers)
12. Luke Connolly (Nemo Rangers)
13. Daniel Goulding (Éire Óg)
14. Peter Kelleher (Kilmichael)
15. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven)
Subs:
16. Micheal Aodh Martin (Nemo Rangers)
17. Kieran Histon (Cobh)
18. Mark Collins (O’Donovan Rossa)
19. Bart Daly (Newmarket)
20. Killian O’Hanlon (Kilshannig)
21. Sean Kiely (Ballincollig)
22. Ruairi Deane (Bantry Blues)
23. Donal Óg Hodnett (O Donovan Rossa)
24. Seamus Hickey (Rockchapel)
25. Dan McEoin (Ilen Rovers)
26. Colm O Neill (Ballyclough)
Josh is a credit to himself and the team. To come out and face the music in such a manner is no easy task. Thought he spoke brilliantly and with honesty. Not our nation’s night, but I actually don’t feel too upset. It reminds me of heading over to Germany for Dortmund’s draw at the end of last season to let the league slip away (sorry rugby purists!). Just being there in the atmosphere and seeing the comeradery after such a heartbreaking occasion… it almost galvinises you. You think ‘I love this s**t’. Our fans were incredible, the players left it out there, their families backed them, and nobody left us wondering what if. Just nothing but immense pride in our side and our 5.5 million strong country to be slugging it out on the world stage. A hair’s breadth from what we wanted.
The hardest part for this team will be knowing that they didn’t play that well tonight in certain areas and still nearly won.
I’d be asking serious questions of Gary Keegan after that, our supposed mind skills guru. We were very poor and not at the pitch of the game. 13-0 down before we woke up. Terrible.
@Aidan Farrell: Nothing to do with Gary Keegan.he done his bit getting them right mentally. The only question mark is now over Paul O’Connell and his line out coaching..two big games and it was more than dicey
Great player. Probs peaked a few seasons ago, no one close to him in Ireland yet tho.
Van der Flier didn’t have much of an impact this world cup and was blown off the field last night despite he best efforts – he is a class act no doubts however. Andy Farrell was too slow to make changes for Sexton, Porter, Bernie & JvdF which might have cost us in a game of absolute inches. I cant remember a tougher loss that this one..