Stance over venue may backfire on the Rebels

I HAVE mixed feelings about the Cork/Kerry game going ahead in Páirc Uí Rinn this Saturday, although the over-arching one is that I am glad it is taking place.

For all the heated rivalry between the two counties, the relationship at county board level has always been cordial and respectful.

The home and away arrangement between Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Fitzgerald

Stadium stood the test of time as well as the disruption to the sequencing of that arrangement caused by the redevelopment of the Páirc Ui Chaoimh.

I find it disappointing that it was not upheld, as a gesture of respect between the counties, but primarily to ensure that everyone who wanted to see the game in the flesh was allowed to do so. There is nothing in the form book that would suggest, wherever this game is played, that it will not end in a Kerry victory.

The suspicion is that Cork’s motivation in making such an issue around the venue that they threatened to pull out of the Championship was about rallying around a cause, standing their ground and claiming a win.

The flipside is that it should surely prod Kerry into going the extra mile to prove the point that they will not be in the least inconvenienced by the furore surrounding the fixture.

In fact, given Cork are an evolving team – and there is no doubting the talent they have coming through – it might have suited them go to Killarney this year, ensuring they would have back-to-back games in Cork when they might be in a better place to exploit home advantage.