LAST UPDATE | 8 Sep 2017
CORK ARE PREPARING for their All-Ireland camogie final tussle with champions Kilkenny minus the colossal figure of nine-time All Star Gemma O’Connor, who has been omitted from Paudie Murray’s starting lineup.
On this week’s Close Calls, Gavan Casey, an atrocious hurler in his day, was joined by News Editor of The Journal Celbridge corner-back Sinead O’Carroll and eight-time All Star Jenny O’Leary to preview Sunday’s decider, with further input from O’Leary’s fellow four-time All-Ireland winner with Cork, Anna Geary.
O’Leary, who spoke O’Connor following her knee injury in Cork’s semi-final win over Galway, was of the opinion that Cork will rally around their felled former captain, and even suggested that, in spite of her exclusion from Murray’s XV, we may yet see O’Connor play a cameo role at Croke Park.
Gemma will spur them on as well, like. She’ll be there with them the whole way. You know, I wouldn’t even be surprised if we see her in some way, shape or form, even if it was for five or 10 minutes – just knowing Gemma.
O’Leary continued: “You never know, even though the team is named. I just have this feeling it could happen. Even if you got that much out of her, like, having Gemma for 10 minutes is better than obviously not having her at all. She’s just a great boost.
“But the girls will definitely feel her pain, and will use that to try and push them forward a little bit more against the Kilkenny side.”
Anna Geary, meanwhile, reckons her former team might come up just short without O’Connor this weekend…
Congratulations to Nikita Dooney, Dromcollogher, Limerick, winner of this week’s prize.
The42′s Close Calls, supported by eir Sport, is broadcast live on Facebook every Friday afternoon.
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