Championship debut, 2011 ..I was on Lar Corbett!

REBELS ACE MCDONNELL KNOWS ALL ABOUT BAPTISMS OF FIRE

GAA HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP

what’s hard. It’s easier once the ball is thrown in, and when that happens you’ll see the younger lads come into their own.”

Manager Kieran Kingston is set to unleash a batch of younger players today, including his talented son Shane, with Luke Meade, Mark Coleman, Darragh Fitzgibbon and Michael Cahalane all set to see game time.

Avoiding the pitfall of playing the game in their own heads before the ball is thrown-in is something they may find difficult and, as captain, Mcdonnell tries to take on a mentoring role in that respect.

“Yes, but it’s one thing saying it and another thing doing it. In my experience it’s hard, when you’re young, not to think about it or talk about it. “Your family, relatives, friends – it’s hard not to talk about it, but you reassure them what’s being said doesn’t really matter, one way or the other - that once the ball is thrown in, it’s all good. “Reassuring them like that is as much as you can do as a player, but the young lads will be fine. They’ll be in the zone.” He added: “I’d be at a stage where I’d stay away from anyone who wants to talk about hurling. That’s just my mentality. “The game is there to be played, not to be talked about, so people don’t get too much out of me. “If people want to ask me about hurling they have to go through my girlfriend, that’s how it is with me.”

Cork haven’t beaten Tipp in Thurles in the Championship since 2006 and are 7/2 outsiders to do so today though Mcdonnell insisted: “There’s no such thing in my eyes – no optimism, no pessimism.

“We’re playing Tipperary and preparing as best we can, when the ball is thrown in it’s thrown in. There’s no optimism or pessimism.”

It’s not known as yet who the corner-back will pick up today but, given the quality of the Tipperary attack, he and his defensive colleagues will have their hands full.

“We’re aware of that and excited about trying to hold it,” said Mcdonnell. “As a defender you want to be challenged, not to go through the motions. I thrive on being challenged anyway.

“The whole team is looking forward to it – and Tipp have very good forwards.”