Mulcahy reluctant to look past Tipperary

Championship 2006 news: Along with the usual responsibilities of being captain, it seems Pat Mulcahy is also charged with ensuring the words "three in a row" aren't mentioned anywhere near the Cork hurling team.

Mulcahy talks freely about Sunday's Munster final against Tipperary and the various strengths of both teams, but any suggestion of a question about a third successive All-Ireland he immediately deflects by reverting to the present.

Despite their convincing semi-final victory over Clare, Mulcahy dismisses the idea Cork already look a class apart from everyone else.

"I wouldn't say that at all. For the first 20 minutes we were definitely struggling. We were down four or five points and Clare were all over us. We managed to tack on a few points before half-time, and I think that demoralised Clare a little bit. But we didn't play well in the first half against Clare, simple as that.

"Okay, we came out and pulled away in the second half, but there's definitely room for improvement based on that first half. We definitely can't afford to give Tipperary the same chance to get ahead like we did Clare the last day," added Mulcahy.

But win or lose in Semple Stadium on Sunday, Cork are still guaranteed a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

"I suppose that's allowed us to put the whole All-Ireland thing on the back burner for a while, and just focus on winning this Munster championship.

"And as far as I'm concerned it's still a massive title. There's a Munster medal to be won on Sunday, and I'm sure the Tipperary players are thinking the same thing. It's always a huge occasion, especially over in Thurles, and with Cork and Tipperary probably being the traditional final as well. So no matter what they do to the hurling championship I think the Munster title will always be special to the players."

Okay, but if Cork have won two All-Irelands in succession, and easily beaten the team that almost unsettled them last year, surely their confidence of pulling off the three-in-a-row must be building.

"Well, there is a certain amount of confidence. You must have that if you're going out to win a Munster final. But we're also aware that you're always only one game away from the knives coming out, and things like that. We also know we're probably meeting the form team in the country at the moment. They've had two big championship matches and two big wins, so it's not going to be easy. Even last year's final was a lot closer than some people think. I still think that game turned on a penalty save, when the ball went back up the field and we put it over the bar.

"Tipperary's heads seemed to drop and if that goal had gone in it could have been different. Sunday will be totally different to last year, I can assure you."

What seems certain is both teams have the big players necessary to win - not least forwards Joe Deane and Eoin Kelly. Deane hit 0-9 in the Clare match, Kelly hit 2-9 for Tipperary in their semi-final win over Waterford. Mulcahy has switched to left corner back for Sunday, which suggests Cork's other corner back Brian Murphy will pick up Kelly.

Mulcahy has his own idea on how to cope with Kelly: "Just hope he won't turn up. Seriously, he's a class player, the top forward in the country right now. The only thing we can do is cut off the supply of ball going into him. But he's such a dangerous player that if you give him a half chance he'll finish for you.

"But then the last day Diarmaid Fitzgerald didn't get too much plaudits, but he set up two goals - one for Lar Corbett, and one for Eoin Kelly. So he's the perfect balance to Eoin Kelly.

"And then we'd be hoping from big performances from all our forwards as well. In fairness to Joe Deane though, he has started the season very well for us, and he's is always liable to stick away a goal for you."

Hunger is then mentioned in one last, desperate attempt to get Mulcahy to talk about the three-in-a-row: "If we don't win anything this year it won't be anything to do with hunger. Because the hunger is definitely there. Players are fighting hard for places. So we're just looking forward to Sunday now, hoping we can come through that."