SWITCHING Cork’s opening All-Ireland series game from its original date of Sunday to Saturday was a ‘no-brainer’, says Rebels boss Joe Carroll.

Cork were scheduled to play Armagh at home on Sunday at 3pm, live on TG4, but with the Munster senior hurling final between Cork and Limerick throwing in at 2pm in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Carroll's side would have been unable to play in Páirc Uí Rinn, while also going head-to-head with the biggest GAA game of the weekend.

But common sense prevailed, as Cork v Armagh will now take place in Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday.

‘Look, I think it was a no-brainer really,’ Carroll said of the date change.

‘Playing it opposite the Cork-Limerick hurling match wouldn’t have made sense. Anyone in Cork with an interest in Gaelic games generally follows both football and hurling. Whether you’re involved or not, people are going to want to see a Munster final.

‘Moving the game gives people a chance to support both. Whatever support we’d get on a Saturday, we’d have got very little neutral support if we were up against the hurling on Sunday.

‘There were practical issues too. You couldn’t really play in Páirc Uí Rinn because of traffic restrictions around the hurling final, and MTU wasn’t available either. We’d probably have been looking at going outside the city altogether to find a venue.

‘So we were delighted when it was changed. It makes sense from every angle and, on top of that, it gives us an extra day to recover before the Waterford game the following weekend, which is another bonus.’

Carroll is confident his Rebels, crowned Division 1 league champions earlier in the season, can bounce back from a disappointing Munster campaign where they lost all three games. In the All-Ireland series, grouped with Armagh and Waterford, there is little margin for error if Cork want to reach the knock-out stages.

‘It’s a bit like the men’s championship now. Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht are all over and everybody is resetting. It’s a new competition,’ Carroll said.

‘At this stage it doesn’t matter where you finished in your provincial championship, you go into the draw and start again.

‘We’ve been handed a very difficult group. We’re probably a little bit lucky not to have a long journey for the first game, but Armagh are a serious side and Waterford are coming in on a high as well. They only missed out on the Munster title by a point.

‘We know we have two difficult games ahead of us, but I think the girls are determined to put in a strong performance against Armagh and show what they’re capable of.’

Cork have no fresh injury worries, but will be without long-term injury absentees Katie Horgan and Lyda McDonagh.