Terry Reilly
THIS week everyone from Kerry and Cork will concentrate on one thing: winding up their neighbour by with taunts like “yerra how would we beat Cork with the big panel they have” or “we’ll never beat Kerry in Killarney, sure didn’t ye invent football”.
It’ll be become all consuming occupying every waking minute until 2pm on Sunday in Fitzgerald Stadium.
Ultimately though what’s the point.
Conor Counihan said last week Cork and Kerry were at a disadvantage by not playing a decent game until July: “For the first time in a number of years, the Munster championship has been a disappointment in terms of competitive matches and I don’t think either of the two teams will have learned a whole pile from their games to date.”
It was as close to a call for an end to the provincial championship system you’re likely to hear from a Cork or Kerry football manager.
But you’ll never hear them say it because, behind it all, both Cork and Kerry realise they are in the perfect position. By going up against each other in a competition where Tipperary, Clare, Waterford and Limerick have only won the prize 13 times between them in 127 years and based on the current qualifier system they know they’ll be can plan for July every year.
What’s more, for Cork and Kerry the final means something. It’s the best challenge match either manager could hope for before they take on the best Ireland has to throw at them. They get to test their mettle against the best team in the country and see how they rank.
In Connacht the final means nothing because Mayo and Galway are too preoccupied with their failings post-Connacht. Ulster is a war of attrition where winning the cup comes with a health warning while Leinster will remain a non-event until Dublin contests an All-Ireland final or they find a worthy rival.
Munster is different though. Without a doubt Cork have improved because of Kerry. Had their neighbours been Laois or Donegal the football championship wouldn’t mean much to the Rebel county. But with the most successful county of all time standing in their way every year Cork can’t afford to be complacent and focus entirely on hurling. Their pride refuses to allow them take a beating every year.
Kerry can’t be lazy either. They believe, this week more than most, that if they don’t put the work in at every age group in every club their reputation will be damaged.
You could argue that both would be weakened in a Champions League style format but history, the days when a championship back door was a different way to leave the dressing room after being knocked out, tells us that rivalry would drive them on.
Sunday means nothing. Whoever wins will have gained nothing. Whoever loses will have lost nothing. But that doesn’t diminish the interest in the game in the counties. They know this is all about Sam Maguire and a game like this will make or break their season, regardless of the result.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/X9COBzH7CDc/post.aspx
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