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'We keep everything in the circle... everything outside it is just irrelevant to us'
SHANE KINGSTON HAS insisted that Cork's month-long break since winning the Munster final won't leave them undercooked and vulnerable against Dublin this weekend.
Cork will face the Dubs in Saturday evening's All-Ireland SHC semi-final exactly four weeks after beating Limerick in a dramatic provincial decider.
The previous three times that Cork won Munster titles, in 2014, 2017 and 2018, they failed to navigate the lengthy break in games and lost the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final ties.
The gap between games was five weeks in both 2014 and 2017 and four weeks in 2018.
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The last time the Rebels actually won their next game after a Munster title success was way back in 2006, when they overcame the four-week break that season to beat Limerick in an All-Ireland quarter-final.
This weekend's opponents, Dublin, have beaten Kildare in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final and, memorably, Limerick in a quarter-final since Cork's provincial final and will look to capitalise on that momentum.
Cork attacker Kingston said he doesn't think it will be a problem for his team.
'I wouldn't think so, no,' said Kingston, speaking as an eir hurling ambassador.
'The gap is a sign that you've won something, which is great. Secondly, it just gives you that opportunity to maybe get a bit of extra work done, fine-tuning things that you might not have had time to do if you had only one or two weeks.
'We looked at it as an opportunity to get the smaller things set in stone really. It gives you that opportunity as well to push things a bit more in training for two or three weeks and then tone it down for the week of the game.'
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The experienced forward was similarly dismissive of the increasing pressure being weighted on Cork as All-Ireland favourites, particularly since Limerick's exit.
Cork have already collected National League and Munster titles this season and have been installed by bookies as strong favourites not just to beat Dublin but to win the All-Ireland.
Tipperary manager Liam Cahill has described them as 'raging hot favourites'.
'We kind of know ourselves about the outside noise and we always emphasise it that we just keep the outside out,' said Kingston. 'It's no different to last year, there was a lot of outside noise then as well.
'We just keep a tight-knit group and keep everything in the circle. Everything in that circle matters and everything outside it is just irrelevant to us. We're just staying focused on what we need to do.'
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Kingston's specific focus has been on impressing Ryan and the management team enough to earn a starting place for the first time in this year's Championship.
The 27-year-old Douglas man came on twice in the Munster round robin, against Clare and Waterford, and again in the provincial final, firing three points in the final win over Limerick. He missed a chunk of time with a groin injury during the league and hasn't started a game for Cork since early February.
'You'd always be hoping but it's hard to change a winning team as well,' shrugged Kingston. 'Whether I'm starting or coming on, I'll be ready to do the best I can for the team.
'I suppose one thing I'd always try to be conscious of is not making it about me. The team is a lot bigger than any one individual.'
