Brian Hayes feared season could have been over for Cork after injury

Cork hurler Brian Hayes has spoken about how victory over Limerick last year gave them a vital boost in the Munster championship ahead of their clash on Sunday.

Last year Cork were underdogs as they faced Limerick in the Munster championship, needing a win to keep their championship alive.

They won in one of the games in the season, and repeated the performance when they met in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Coming into this weekend, Cork are on top of the table with a Division 1A title secured, and are seen by many as favourites for the All-Ireland.

Hayes, part of a full-forward line that can't stop scoring, says the victory last May provided a platform to build on.

"For us last year, it was do or die. When you are coming up against the All-Ireland champions, it is a nice way to test yourself.

"It was a close game, and coming out the right side of it gave us that belief to push on again in the All-Ireland series. Hopefully, on Sunday, we can get the right kind of bounce off it."

After losing a classic All-Ireland final to Clare, the response from the Rebel county has been immense, as they have never looked back on the heartbreaking defeat in Croke Park last July.

Despite always having a talented squad, it has been 20 years since Cork have won Liam MacCarthy. The Cork forward says the wait from 2005 is not talked about in Cork.

"There has only been a few lads who have been involved for a good couple of years, it does not really make a difference how long it has been, it doesn't bring any added pressure.

"We are just focusing on ourselves and the present, it is a long way off for us for still, we are just looking to the weekend and what we can bring to the match on Sunday.

If Cork are to be successful this season, Hayes