Conor confident Cork have right stuff to maintain momentum

IT will be his first competitive outing with Cork since last year's All-Ireland final replay, but Conor O'Sullivan isn't worried that the lengthy lay-off will prevent him from performing up to scratch against Waterford next Sunday.

On the contrary, he believes the break has been a blessing in disguise, stating that he had lost his appetite for hurling by the end of 2013.

“After we lost the All-Ireland final,” he said.

“I played with Sars against UCC in the county championship the following week, and we were walking away with the game when I got sent off near the end. I spent three weeks on the sideline, and when I got back for the county final, we lost it against Midleton, so I just threw my hurleys away after that,” he revealed.

“I didn't pick them up again until January, because I was sick of hurling, and I basically wanted to forget about 2013. We had been relegated in the league, lost a Munster final and an All-Ireland final, and when you add in the county final defeat, I felt I had lost enough to keep me going for the rest of my life.”

O'Sullivan had been troubled with a groin injury throughout 2013, which meant he was unable to do any hard training during the year.

“All I did was play matches, but I knew I had to get the problem sorted out this year. It was a bit of a dose doing rehab, but I have a good five weeks behind me now, and I'm delighted to be back.

“It was nice to get a break, I feel much fresher as a result of it, and you only need a week to get your touch back, so it's just your fitness you have to get right. I was always tipping away, doing a bit of running and cycling, which was handy, and I'm satisfied I'm in very good shape at the moment,” said the Cork corner-back.

Having watched all of Cork's games during the league, O'Sullivan suggests that competition for places has increased considerably over the past few months.

“We have the three footballers (Aidan Walsh, Eoin Cadogan and Damien Cahalane) with us now, and they could walk on to any team in the country. There's a few younger fellas coming through as well, and Paudie O'Sullivan is also back following his horrific injury, which is absolutely brilliant, because he's such a class hurler.

“It sets everything up perfectly for us, and the fact that we will be coming in under the radar a bit after competing in the lower-tier in the league suits us just fine.”

O'Sullivan accepts that Cork surprised a lot of people with their progress last year, and he says the biggame experience gained over the past 12 months has to

be major asset in terms of the team's development.

“When you look back on it, we were probably a bit green last year, and we struggled to kill off games when we had the chance, but now we have played in two All-Ireland finals, a Munster final, beaten Kilkenny in an All-Ireland quarter-final and won a massive game against Dublin in Croke Park, all of which amounts to a huge positive for such a young team.”

O'Sullivan says he is under no illusions about how difficult it's going to be for Cork to win anything this year.

“It will be just as hard as it was last year, because Tipp and Kilkenny, who are always up on a pedestal, appear to have bounced back strongly again. Waterford are also a very serious team as was evidenced last year when they came within a hair's breath of beating Kilkenny.

“Had that game gone on for another few minutes, they would probably have won it, so we know it's going to take a massive performance from us to beat them on Sunday. Unless we are 100% focused, and a lot of things go right for us on the day, we won't be able to do it, but our preparations have gone very well, and I'd be quietly confident we can rise to the challenge.”