Munster Clubs U18 head coach Brendan O’Connor has recognised the “immensely improved” standard of club player in the province, following his team’s Interprovincial Series triumph.

These are good times to be a rugby follower in Waterford. For so long a devoted minority in the hurling-obsessed Déise, proponents of the oval ball are steadily making an impact, not just on the sport beyond its borders but also on the young athletes within.