BY SEÁN HOLLAND
THERE’S no time for celebrations for the newly-crowned Munster senior camogie champions as ‘it’s back to business,’ says Cork manager Ger Manley.
The Rebels defeated Waterford in the Munster final last weekend, but the celebrations have been put on ice as they start their defence of the O’Duffy Cup against Wexford this Saturday in Páirc Uí Rinn (2pm).
Reflecting on the Munster final victory, Manley remarked, ‘It’s straight back to business. No celebrations at all. It's just the timing of it. It's the perfect preparation for championship but not for celebrating,’ he said.
Wexford will provide a stern test for the Rebels. The Cork boss recognises their strengths and recent improvements as well as the competitiveness of the senior camogie championship.
‘The competition itself has become very even between the seven or eight teams. Wexford are no different and they are quite strong. I watched them in the Division 1B league final, they were impressive. They were unlucky not to win it and got stung with a late goal by Dublin. They’re a big physical team so it's not going to be easy for us,’ Manley explained.
The Cork manager is well aware of the physical and mental demands that lie ahead. The championship fixture layout is particularly challenging this year. Cork will have a week-long stretch of championship matches but Manley knows they can draw on the experience from last year's campaign.
‘It's just busy. We have a hard stretch now, we have a month of matches. Wexford on Saturday, then we've Down the following week, that’s a four-and-a-half hour spin which is a long trip. We're out then again following week up in Clare. It's going to be a tough slog, but we're used to it from last year so we have that experience,’ he said.
Despite the challenges, Cork's preparation and focus reflect their championship pedigree. The hope for Cork boss Manley is that the delayed Munster celebrations will be worth it in the end with the addition of the O’Duffy Cup.
