THE LIMERICK senior footballers take on Cork this Saturday afternoon in Thurles at 3pm. The clash is the curtain raiser to a triple header which also features Cork versus Wexford and Limerick versus Clare in the hurling qualifiers.
The near neighbours meet in the All-Ireland qualifiers for the first time since 2010 when Cork won a Round 4 clash by two points after extra time, en route to winning the All-Ireland title that year.
Indeed, 2010 was the last year that Cork entered the qualifiers in Round 2, having been in all the Munster finals between 2011 and last year.
Limerick are seeking their first championship win over Cork since 2003 when they won a Munster quarter-final tie by ten points in a rain soaked Pairc Uí Chaoimh.
Limerick are expected to have captain Iain Corbett back in the starting fifteen for Saturday’s clash, with no injury worries troubling the management team.
Limerick manager John Brudair knows that his side are underdogs, but believes that Cork are beatable, as Tipperary have shown already this season, also in Thurles.
“We know how good Cork can be and there is no doubt that we will have to play a counter attacking style. Thurles is a big pitch, there is a lot of ground to defend, but on the flip side of that, there is also a lot of ground to play into, on the break,” Brudair commented.
Limerick, with a win over Antrim in the qualifiers, know that a good start will be half the job as creating doubt in the Cork ranks could prove crucial. A point Brudair has stressed to his players.
“When you are the underdog, scores are vital to get early on in the game. We know if we play to our potential, we are capable of anything,” added the manager.
