
Cork's Meabh Cahalane not focused on three-in-a-row talk ahead of All-Ireland final
After league and Munster wins, Cork will go into Sunday's final as favourites, in a repeat of the 2024 decider.
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A Cork side that has achieved so much success in the last three seasons, should they win on Sunday, Cork would become the first team since Wexford between 2010 and 2012 to win three straight All-Ireland titles.
Despite the potential to make history, Cahalane says all focus is on winning the game.
"We are just looking at it as another All-Ireland final. There is no point talking about three-in-a-row unless you actually go and do it.
"It is a huge opportunity for us, but we just need to make sure we put in a performance good enough to win this year's All-Ireland that will lead to three-in-a-row.
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"If there is any group to do so, it is this group. They are a hugely talented bunch. We have strength and depth in the squad.
"Some of the girls in the panel, it is their first day out in Croke Park, it is their first time in an All-Ireland final, so we are just treating this like any All-Ireland final in the past."
With serial winners all over the pitch for Cork, there is plenty of experience for the Rebels to fall back on for the final.
However, Cahalane has praised the role younger players have played in the squad, and says winning the Division 1A title back in April was important for the team.
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"Winning is a habit, and we set out at the start of the year that we wanted to go after the league. We took it game by game, and we had a good win over Galway in Thurles in April.
"For some of the girls in our squad who haven't had as much game time in the last couple of years. Players like Sorcha McCarton and Clodagh Finn have really stepped up this year.
"They are huge players in our team now. There is girls who came on the last day, Orlaith Mullins, Cliona Healy, and Meabh Murphy, and they all played their part."
With two teams full of talent beyond the starting 15, and little to sperate the sides in last year's final in Croke Park, the Cork defender can see the bench having a big impact.
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"We have a motto in our squad go as hard as you can for as long as you can.
"We have finishers to come in then and finish the job. That is all we have to do, do our job and we know we have these people to come in off the bench and help us to get over the line.
"Orlaith Mullins got in great positions the last day and managed to get off 1-2, as she had been doing in training.
"We will be looking to the girls again to come in and bring the same energy off the bench, and we will have to do our job as long for as long as we can before the come on and make that impact."

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