O'Driscoll back for Rebels

Caheragh man could feature against Tipperary but Walsh is doubt

BY DENIS HURLEY

BRIAN O’Driscoll is back in the reckoning for Cork ahead of Saturday’s Munster SFC semi-final clash with Tipperary in Páirc Uí Rinn (5pm).

Having overcome a shoulder problem, the Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh man was ruled out of Cork’s win over Waterford a fortnight ago as he suffered a hamstring injury in a club championship game. However, Aidan Walsh, who went off early – also with hamstring trouble – in the one-point victory in Fraher Field, is a doubt.

‘Brian should be back,’ says Cork selector Eoin O’Neill.

‘Aidan Walsh is still getting tested, I suppose he’s 50-50, he’s under treatment and that’ll continue up until the game.

‘The only other injury worry apart from Brian Hurley is Tom Clancy from Clonakilty, he has a problem with his foot it’s still not right, so he won’t make it.’

Walsh’s injury, coupled with the suspension of Alan O’Connor, means that Cork lack manpower at midfield. A partnership of Ruairí Deane and Ian Maguire looks likely.

‘There are a couple of big choices to be made,’ O’Neill says.

‘Guys have been pushing hard and that’s the nature of it, that’s what you want to see.’

Having finished their Division 2 league campaign with a win and two draws in their last three games, Cork are technically going for a fifth unbeaten game in a row on Saturday. However, praise was in short supply after the 1-12 to 1-11 win over Waterford.

O’Neill takes an optimistic read of the situation and believes that there will be an improvement against Tipp.

‘A good performance is the key,’ says.

‘You want everybody to put it on the line. If that happens, then the rest will look after itself.

‘When we reviewed the Waterford game coldly, while we didn’t play well I don’t think we were ever going to lose it.

‘The lads showed grit and calmed down and ensured that they got the result, whether you won by one point or ten, that was the main thing. Obviously there was some criticism, but it was another game we didn’t lose. We’ll have to try to continue that.’