Limerick & Cork backroom teams involved in pitch scuffle at half-time
Cork lead Limerick by 1-14 to 1-10 at the Gaelic Grounds in the Munster SHC final.
The Rebels performance is a far cry from the one that saw them put to the sword a few weeks back against the same side at the same venue.
However, they have been playing with a fierce wind at their back, and the Treaty men are sure to be back with vigour in the second half.
Things also became heated at half-time, when Cork manager Pat Ryan went to approach the referee.
He was intercepted by Limerick boss John Kiely, before both sets of backroom teams were involved in a mini scuffle.
Ahead of the game, Ryan said: “We try to be as humble as we can, that’s what we try to do in Cork. There was a thing written ages ago around the football thing, which I’d say John Cleary hates, this thing about ‘Corkness’.
“It drives me mad when I hear that thing. What’s Corkness?
“It’s about representing the jersey as best we can instead of that. I just thought a lot of it was wrong, even about Paddy Power paying, that was only a gimmick and a stunt and wrong for a betting company to be doing that for amateur athletes, putting them under that pressure.
“That’s the standard they’ve set, it’s been so high with their attitude and their effort.
“They could have taken a break at any time over the last six Munster finals, because they were in the All-Ireland series anyway, but they haven’t.
“They haven’t been focused on being the third team out or whatever and maybe there’s something in that as well. Their standard has been their standard every time they go out and that’s where we’re all trying to get to.
“You can only get to that by being in these matches. They’re in these matches all the time, they have the experience of it.
“We felt we were gone out of that situation where we wouldn’t be putting in a bad performance, but maybe I took my eye off the ball on that.
“I can guarantee you we’ll be able to perform in the final.”
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