GAA: IAN O'RIORDANtalks to Cork forward Donncha O'Connor, who signals his side's intent when pointing out that Cork get every bit as fired up playing Dublin as they would playing against old rivals Kerry, especially in Croke Park

IT’S BEING referred to as the Wall, and if breaking it down is as intriguing as building it up then it should be a quite spectacular show.

Although it shouldn’t be confused with the Roger Waters tour coming to Dublin next month: it is the Dublin football defence, and it will face its sternest test so far this season when Cork revisit Croke Park for Sunday’s National Football League final.

Cork forward Donncha O’Connor is one of the men charged with the task, and having hit 1-5 against Dublin in last summer’s All-Ireland semi-final, he reckons there is a way of going about it. Sitting alongside Bryan Cullen at a final press conference in Croke Park he openly declares that Cork “have a plan alright” – although he wasn’t about to reveal it in front of his rival.

A few minutes later, in more intimate surroundings, O’Connor lets us in on the secret.

“Well, we actually don’t have a plan,” he tells us. “I was just trying to put Bryan off. But it’s not just Dublin that play it that way. Maybe it’s because Dublin have been on television a lot this year, and in the media, a lot of people have seen them and said they are defensive.

“But a lot of other teams you play are the same. We drop a fella back sometimes to cover. It’s just that they can get forward quicker. Some teams do it and some teams don’t.

“But I do think Dublin are more formidable this year. Maybe last year they might have been a bit over dependent on Bernard Brogan for scores, but this year they seem to be getting scores, especially the half-forward line. They’ve put up 16 goals and that’s wicked scoring. Teams will have to be ready for that because when they do get a sniff of goal they will really go for it.”

As defending league champions – and having beaten Dublin in their three previous final meetings, in 1999, 1989, and 1952 – Cork won’t lack motivation, but the important thing, says O’Connor, is the performance.

“I know a lot of people are saying Dublin have to win this, but we saw last year what winning the league did to us. Now we are in the league final we are going to be trying to win it just as much as Dublin are.

“History in the last few years has seen that whoever has won the league or even got to the final has done well in the championship, so that’s what we’ll be trying to do again this year.

“Last year Mayo didn’t really turn up. I’d take another league final like that, but I can’t really see that happening. But last year we started off the game well and Mayo couldn’t really get into the game.

“Dublin have been the form team at the moment looking at their league performances. The night we played them here they gave us a bit of hiding. It would be nice to lay down a marker, early. But I don’t think whoever wins or loses the league it’s going to have a major impact on their championship.

“You try to get to the league final so you can have one very good game before you get to the championship. Getting to the league final is a major boost for both teams, really.”

O’Connor was troubled with a groin injury early in the league, but came on against Armagh the last day and promptly scored 2-3 – and was unlucky not to be named man of the match. “I thought so too,” he says with a smile.

What is certain, he says, is that Cork get every bit as fired up playing Dublin as they would playing against old rivals Kerry, especially in Croke Park – as last year’s semi-final indeed proved.

“When you come out of nappies really you want to play in Croke Park. Any game you play, no matter who it is against you should be well up for it. Personally any game I play in Croke Park I’d be well up for it because I spent years dreaming of playing here.

“Last year, I suppose, it looked like we had more in the tank. But we learnt from previous experiences up here that the game is 70 minutes long or whatever it is and if you are not used to playing in big games you kind of get a bit carried away. With 10 minutes to go you start concentrating on the clock or the score and that so that’s what we learnt, you don’t start watching the time or the scoreboard and I reckon that’s just what helped us. We didn’t panic, we didn’t concentrate on what time was left or that we needed to get a point. We just kept playing the game out until the final whistle.”

If both teams play with that mindset on Sunday it should be a very spectacular show.

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Cork forward Ciarán Sheehan has joined the list of doubtful starters for Sunday’s final against Dublin. Sheehan picked up an ankle injury playing college side Cork IT earlier this week, and as a result manager Conor Counihan has delayed naming his team until this evening.

Midfielder Aidan Walsh is almost certainly ruled out with a hamstring injury, with forward Paul Kerrigan also doubtful with the same problem, while defender Eoin Cadogan will definitely miss out through suspension.