Cork have included four potential Championship debutants in his panel for Saturday night’s Munster senior football semi-final against Tipperary.
Rebels manager Ronan McCarthy has handed corner-back Kevin Flahive his first championship start while Matthew Taylor, Sam Ryan and Ronan O’Toole could all experience their first taste of championship football after they were named on the bench.
It’s the third summer in a row the two counties will meet in the semi-final of the provincial championship and Cork will be without Sean Powter and Paul Kerrigan due to injury.
McCarthy said that it would take a while for new players to integrate into the Rebels side but that it should become less of an issue for the county as the season progresses.
“It’s definitely a disadvantage,” said McCarthy of his absentees.
“You’d prefer to have them. Particularly when there’s a new management team as well. Let’s say Galway for example, and obviously their Corofin players weren’t available to them, but that’s a management team that’s in year four or five.
“The fact that it’s my first year and our first year, we would have preferred to have them, but that’s the way things fell. The other advantage is that they’re playing a high level of football.
“It does take a while for players to integrate into the squad and into the way we do things. The longer we go on, the less of an issue it will be.”
Cork team to play Tipperary
1. Mark White (Clonakilty)
2. Kevin Crowley (Millstreet)
3. Jamie O Sullivan (Bishopstown)
4. Kevin Flahive (Douglas)
5. Sean White (Clonakilty)
6. Stephen Cronin (Nemo Rangers)
7. Tomas Clancy (Fermoy)
8. Aidan Walsh (Kanturk)
9. Ian Maguire (St Finbarr’s) Captain
10. Kevin O Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
11. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
12. Ruairi Deane (Bantry Blues)
13. John O Rourke (Carbery Rangers)
14. Colm O’Neill (Ballyclough)
15. Luke Connolly (Nemo Rangers)
Subs:
16. Anthony Casey ( Kiskeam)
17. Sam Ryan (St Finbarr’s)
18. James Loughrey (Mallow)
19. Matthew Taylor (Mallow)
20. Cian Kiely (Ballincollig)
21. Ronan O Toole (Eire Og)
22. Peter Kelleher (Kilmichael)
23. Cathal Vaughan ( Iveleary)
24. Michael Hurley (Castlehaven)
25. Stephen Sherlock (St Finbarr’s)
26. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven)
27. Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers)
