Rebels' record leaves Kerry envious
In all the years of the All-Ireland football championship, there have been very few times when Cork have held a record of achievement that Kerry were desperate to emulate. The reverse was usually the case, such as winning a certain number of successive Munster titles or All-Irelands and in that department there was always only one winner, Kerry.
It is ironic therefore that the one distinction Cork do have over Kerry right now is that they were the last county to win two successive All-Irelands, in 1989-90, and Kerry are anxious to reclaim that honour by winning next Sunday's final at Croke Park. At least that is what most Kerry people would have us believe, but I wonder ?
Having won two, three and four in a row All-Irelands in the past, I doubt if Kerry are too worried about a modest double now. That might have been a motivating factor up to a few weeks ago, but once Cork qualified for the final all that changed.
Kerry have far more serious things to worry about regarding a two-in-a-row because a much bigger picture for every Kerry person now is the possibility that they could lose an All-Ireland final to Cork. I would venture to say as far as most Kerry people are concerned, such a nightmare scenario would represent the worst All-Ireland final defeat, since losing the five-in-a-row match against Offaly in 1982, the 25th anniversary of which is actually next Sunday. It has never ceased to amaze me why Kerry football teams and their supporters get so uptight about playing Cork in a Munster final.
If we exclude the final of 1890, which was abandoned when the football burst, and the 1893 final when Kerry gave Cork a walkover, I reckon the counties have met in 57 Munster finals and Kerry have won 41, or 72 per cent of these. So there is no doubt about where the pre-match psychological advantage lies.
However, Sunday's encounter is in a different category because of the absolute disaster it would be for Kerry should they lose this final to their neighbours.
Devastating
Losing the odd Munster final to Cork is bad enough, but to be beaten in a Croke Park final would be devastating. This, of course, is a huge advantage for Cork this week as the teams complete their preparations, because they are surely aware of the heightened tension in the Kerry camp at the mere prospect of such a disaster striking next Sunday.
Kerry GAA people, particularly those living in the parishes bordering county Cork, of which there are many, will have to go into hibernation should they lose on Sunday, because not only would Cork have thwarted their ambition of two successive All-Irelands, but they would have achieved their greatest ever triumph over their neighbours by virtue of the fact it was in the biggest game of all that they beat them. No doubt, these are very edgy times for Kerry natives.
Of course, there is a distinctly different possible scenario relating to Sunday's game, which could come into play and work to Kerry's advantage.
Being hot favourites for a final is never easy, even for Kerry over the years, but such is the respect Kerry give to Cork in football that the possibility of being humiliated next Sunday by losing this game to their great rivals could well be the extra motivating force which manager Pat O'Shea can use this week.
No doubt he can drive home the message of defeat being a catastrophe of monumental proportions for Kerry football and that could well be a critical factor in ensuring the Kerry players have no trace of complacency in their system.
There are also more practical reasons for Kerry to be worried about this game other than the prospect of losing bragging rights to Cork.
They know they are facing the best defensive set-up in present day football, therefore the slick forward play that did such damage against Dublin in the semi-final will be much more difficult to produce.
Cork have a selection of defenders who could be utilised to man-mark people like Kieran Donaghy, Colm Cooper and Declan O'Sullivan in a way that Dublin were never able to do and this is the single biggest problem facing O'Shea. What happens, for example, if Donaghy is played out of the game? In that context, the loss of the brilliant Anthony Lynch due to a hand injury is a serious blow to Cork. The other key battleground is centre field where all of Kerry will be expecting the great Darragh O Se to have one last hurrah that will provide the engine for a Kerry victory and his own fifth All-Ireland medal, which would be a remarkable achievement.
Fractious
On the evidence of recent games, there is no certainty of that happening and the fact that O'Shea and Cork's Nicholas Murphy have had a very fractious relationship in several recent games, makes the outcome of this individual contest very unpredictable.
Cork were incensed at what they perceived to be a lack of protection provided by referees in past clashes, so it will be interesting to see how things develop this time.
Outside of Cork and Kerry, interest in this All-Ireland final is very low, but particularly in Kerry, it is a game of momentous importance.
Billy Morgan, as a player and manager, has the best record of any opponents against Kerry in championships for over 30 years, and this is possibly at the heart of the nervousness that strikes so many Kerry GAA fans before a championship clash with Cork.
The person with the hardest task on Sunday is likely to be Meath referee David Coldrick as there is no love lost between these great rivals in what will be the most significant clash ever between Kerry and Cork.
