Eoin Brennan previews Clare’s crunch encounter with Cork in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 2 at FBD Semple Stadium

There was a major brainstorming session going on in the Ó Riain Stand between Cork’s management team of Kieran Kingston, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Noel Furlong and Pat Mulcahy at half-time in last Sunday’s Clare and Tipperary in Semple Stadium.

It’s unlikely that they were discussing Ed Sheeran’s back catalogue, it’s much more likely by their animated gestures that their focus was on Clare who at that point had laid waste to their hosts Tipperary to lead by 13 points.

Having witnessed Tipperary’s rousing display against Waterford, Kingston and Co. probably came to Semple Stadium to further analyse Colm Bonnar’s side but they left early with only the Banner in their thoughts.

The thing is that Cork, particularly under Kingston, have invariably had the Indian sign over Clare in recent seasons.

After all, following Clare’s 2013 All-Ireland triumph, the Rebels have edged six of the last seven meetings and even the Banner’s solitary success in 2019 was controlled as Cork still went through to the All-Ireland series on score difference.

Those reverses included the Munster Finals of 2017 and ’18 while last year’s Patrick Collins save at the death left Clare heartbroken once more.

For whatever reason Clare have found it difficult to contend with Cork more than any other opponent.

It’s not as if Cork have been dominating like Limerick, it’s just that the pace and guile of the Rebels’ attackers have caused untold headaches for successive Banner rearguards.

Sunday’s opening victory over Tipperary may have altered that outlook however, as while Cork have been able to find a shadower to try and curb Clare talisman Tony Kelly as much as humanly possible in recent years, the return of Peter Duggan and Shane O’Donnell provides many more fires to try and quench.

Clare’s rotating forward division was a very clever ploy against Tipperary as any man-markers would have been dragged out of position in following Kelly, Duggan and O’Donnell, leaving huge holes in the home side’s defence for Clare to prosper with three first half goals.

Cork’s defence is equally as suspect and under fire at the moment after back-to-back beatings at the hands of Munster favourites Waterford and Limerick so it wouldn’t take much to put further doubts in their heads this Sunday.

Both sides enjoy playing in Thurles but losing home advantage could open the door for Clare to break their Rebel hoodoo as having already sampled success on the hallowed turf of Semple Stadium, Clare have momentum as well as the freedom to attack Cork with everything in their armoury.

The pressure is all on Cork to respond to recent defeats as there’s no room left for error. It’s now make-or-break which could well play into the Banner’s hands with another bright start as a second victory would ensure a place in the All-Ireland series at a minimum.

Venue: Semple Stadium, Thurles
Date: Sunday 2pm
Referee: Paud O’Dwyer, Carlow