BY SEÁN HOLLAND
AS the Cork county hurling championships get ready to throw in this weekend, the Bandon hurlers are gearing up for their intermediate A campaign. The Carbery side’s group features Blackrock, Erins Own, and Kildorrery, and it promises very tough games, a sentiment echoed by team manager Pat Barry.
‘There are no easy games in this format, to be honest,’ emphasised Barry. ‘The re-grading a few years ago has just made things a bit more competitive. Any team who wins any championship, they work hard to win it and they deserve it. There's no easy passes.’
Each team in the group brings its own strengths and formidable reputations. Bandon will kick off their campaign with a meeting with Blackrock (Sunday, 1.30pm). Barry who played the majority of his club hurling career with Sarsfields knows all about the strengths the city sides possess.
‘Blackrock, all their players are used to premier grade the whole way up. They're going to be very good. They're going to be very competitive, so we need to be ready for them,’ Barry said.
‘Erins Own, similar. I've lost to them enough times to know that come championship, they're dangerous against anyone. Then Kildorrery, again, they take their hurling very seriously. I don't expect any easy games. They've got some fantastic players. There's going to be no easy game here. Any game that anyone wins, they're going to be pushed all the way to do it,’ remarked the Bandon boss.
When it comes to setting goals and preparing for the campaign ahead, Bandon will maintain a focused and measured approach.
‘We don't look too far into the future here. We're looking at the Blackrock game, first of all. After the Blackrock game, we'll be looking at the next one,’ explained Barry. ‘We're not setting any targets or any goals. It's just one game at a time and we move on from there. It's very easy to start looking ahead, but you can lose sight of what's just in front of you then. I don't think that's a good way to do it. I think we go one game at a time and move on from there. Just see the lay of the land after every game.’
The Bandon boss gave an injury update ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Rockies. ‘We were a bit unlucky there earlier in the year with Eamon Twomey – he damaged his knee in one of the early league games so unfortunately, he's out for, if not the whole year, the vast majority of the year anyway. He was motoring very well at fullback, both hurling and football. It's just unfortunate really.
However, there is some good news on the injury front.
‘We're looking at Robert O’Driscoll being back from being injured long term. He played the last couple of league games, both hurling and football. So very good news to see him back. Even in the few minutes he's had, he's put the hand up and he's eager to start for both’.
Despite the setbacks, the team has managed their players' workloads well throughout the year, leaving them in a relatively comfortable position heading into the championship.
‘Obviously, we would like a clean bill of health across the board. But I think with the nature of the league and the number of games that these fellas have had, we haven't done bad. And I think we did a good job of managing load well throughout the year. So we're comfortable at the moment,’ Barry said.
‘Now, championship is always a different kettle of fish. So we just have to see how the first couple of games go. Again, look, assess it day by day rather than get too far out of ourselves’.
