MUNSTER SHC SEMI-FINAL: GAVIN CUMMISKEYfears the worst as the resurgent Rebels get ready to give Justin McCarthy's beleaguered men a hot reception

JUST MOMENTS after Tipperary devoured Limerick 6-19 to 2-7 in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final Justin McCarthy said the following: “God no, preparation was outstanding. The mood was great. The fellas’ attitude was outstanding. We trained exceptionally well, but we came up against a team that was very clinical and is probably two years ahead in terms of preparation and development.”

The now exiled Limerick hurlers, 24 of the 2009 panel, subsequently disagreed with this synopsis. On the “preparation” front and certainly “mood”. McCarthy, in response, contradicted himself by questioning “attitude.”

The depressing scenario now in place for tomorrow’s trip to Páirc Uí Chaoimh – where a crack Rebel flying column lie in wait – began with McCarthy’s harsher than expected culling of senior players last winter.

There followed a cavalcade of comment by the insurgents followed by a counter-insurgency, led by McCarthy, who clearly learned new survival techniques from his experiences in Waterford.

It means the Munster hurling semi-final is littered with unwanted ironies.The Cork hurlers won their war against the county board, completing a coup d’etat of manager Gerald McCarthy. It all but ruined their 2009 season but they proved against Tipperary last month they are back on course with a decent blend of experience and youth.

Their’s was a show of player power the likes of which Irish sport had never witnessed before. A blueprint now seemed in place for other disgruntled panels to follow, providing they could muster the will to stay the course.

Many of the Cork leaders had three All-Ireland medals jangling in their pockets. That matters.

Limerick failed in their attempts to remove McCarthy after the veteran Cork hurling man made a pre-emptive strike by removing the majority of the old guard without so much as a text (that’s what the others got for pre-season training).

It was generally presumed a clean-out was coming but Stephen Lucey, Niall Moran (brother Ollie retired), Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Mark O’Riordan, Mike O’Brien and Donie Ryan seemed a bit drastic. Arguably the most feted son of this era, Mark Foley, was told he was dropped.

And so it began.

Former captain Damien Reale stepped off the panel on a matter of principle with men like Brian Geary, Donal O’Grady, James O’Brien, Séamus Hickey, Gavin O’Mahony and Brian Murray following suit.

Only six players remain from the 2009 panel.

Hickey is 22 this year, O’Mahony 23. They are of All Star pedigree. But not in 2010 and maybe not in 2011.

McCarthy had lost the dressingroom, just as he had in Waterford two years previously, but the county board supported him. It became a civil war in sporting terms, but when the club delegates twice provided McCarthy with votes of confidence, the players didn’t have 10,000 people willing to take to the streets like they did in Cork.

“There is a perception that Justin is getting two years so we must go through this again next year. To me, tomorrow will just be a very sad day,” said former manager and a member of the 1973 All-Ireland winning side, Éamonn Cregan.

“At the end of the day, it is about Limerick hurling – not Justin or the county board or the players.”

But it is about Justin McCarthy. He won, didn’t he?

“Did he, really?” says Cregan rhetorically. “I dunno. It is sad. There are times when it is time to go and there are times when it is time to stay. I’m not going to say publicly whether he should go or not but Limerick have been affected, and affected badly.”

The pain lingers this week. Limerick remains a proud hurling county and they know everyone is looking, pointing and shaking their heads at the shambles they have got themselves into.

County board chairman Liam Lenihan makes a case for the defence: “You have eight or nine fellas who are making their debuts. You have nine under-21s in the panel. A very young team but the future of Limerick hurling is there. I could name them out for you – Shane O’Neill, Kieran O’Rourke, Shaun Reardon, Bryan O’Sullivan, Graeme Mulcahy, Paul Browne, Thomas O’Brien.

“They’re the future. Whoever is managing Limerick any time in the future, they are the fellas you’ve got to pick from.”

This is not completely true. If another manager comes in there would be at least seven phone calls he would make straight away and from them would come the leadership and core strength.

Lenihan talks of the “Lifting the Treaty” program and statistics that show a substantial increase of boys in Limerick city are playing hurling (10 per cent to 57 per cent) in the past three years. But these juveniles are probably playing two or three sports and when it comes to a decision in their teenage years they will follow their heroes.

And the immediate future?

“Of course the door will be open to everybody in 2011 again.”

The door will be open, Liam, but how will you get them to walk back through it?

“The truth of the matter is, if you look back since our good days in 1996 – go back over 10 years – we have won only three Munster championship matches.

“We haven’t done that well. We have won one senior All-Ireland in 70 years. A radical overhaul was needed. That began to happen in 2008 (with the revamp of underage structures), it is ongoing, we have to wait.”

And what of the exiles?

“We won three under-21 All-Irelands. We thought that would be the turning point and they would become great senior hurlers. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Some of them went on to make the grade, some didn’t.”

Cregan concedes Cork will go straight for the jugular tomorrow. That means early balls into Aisake Ó hAilpín.

“I will be there. You see, it is very easy not to go and say ‘Oh, I can’t go through this now’.

“I’m not saying it is going to be a humiliation but this Cork team proved against Tipperary that they have the ability to win a Munster title and go on to All-Ireland level.

“Limerick are there and Limerick have to be beaten but there will be no sympathy for Limerick. None whatsoever. When Cork are on top they will try to destroy you.

“If they do that it is not good for Cork either.

“We’ll go down and support the players. We’ll be there. If there is to be pain we will take some of the pain along with the players.”

What else can be done? Dark times in the Treaty County.