History is there to be rewritten, declares Feeney

IF Waterford senior hurling full-back Tom Feeney ever tires of his current computer career in Cork, then he should consider a move to the world of public relations.

Pulled aside for interview before another Waterford training session in advance of Sunday’s glamour Munster SHC final, the 6ft 2in, 14 stone 7lbs Ballyduff man couldn’t have been more respectful of opponents Cork.

“I’ve worked in EMC, a computer company, for the last seven-and-a-half years. I know Wayne Sherlock very well as he used to work there and I

also know a few other hurlers from the county. I have a fair idea of the atmosphere in Cork at the moment.”

That atmosphere, have no doubt about it, and close to the city especially, is confident, cocky, assured. It is the kind of arrogance that should grate on the opposition, grate especially on a guy who’s going to form a pivotal part of that opposition.

Not Feeney however. Or at least none that he was showing.

“It’s a good atmosphere, they’re very proud of their team,” he reasoned gracefully. “Things haven’t gone quite well for Cork over the last year or two, but the performance against Clare in particular has lifted their spirits, and that’s very evident now throughout the county and the city, particularly where I am anyway, there’s a good bit of banter there. They’re looking forward to the Munster final.”

But so too are the Waterford fans of course, and with equal confidence. They are the reigning champions. This season, they overcame Limerick after a replay in this year’s semi-

final, with contrasting displays. The boys in white-and-blue too have their reasons to be cheerful.

“We’ve been building very slowly. The Munster final win last year was very significant for us and reaching the final again this year is also significant for us.

“We’ve been working hard. Any team we’ve come up against we’ve tried to do our best and concentrated on beating that particular team. We played Cork last year (late, late, one-point semi-final win), and it was that monkey off our backs.

"But ultimately, Cork will be a different team this year. They seem a lot more confident and are hurling much better. The manner in which they played against Clare was excellent.” That second Limerick game this year was an important one in the

Waterford psyche. It was a true blue-collar win, fashioned from courage, determination, will-to-win, and, of course, that winning experience of last season. That game, even more the Munster final win of last year, could be the making of this team.

“Yeah, that feeling is there, though there’s also a feeling in Cork that the Clare game could be the making of them. I don’t think it was the fact that we were champions, it was just the experience gained from last year.”

“Limerick had a lot of young fellas, they had a second chance, but we took it.

“Ultimately, look at history, look at Clare in 95, who would have said they would win the All-Ireland after struggling against Cork the first day? You just don’t know. History is there to be made, we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

For Waterford, history would be winning Munster for the second successive year, something which has never been done before by the Decies.

The history between the two counties weighs heavily against them however. In 51 meetings, there have been nine wins for Waterford, three draws, and the rest to Cork.

It is that record perhaps, more so than current form, which sees Cork favoured by many commentators in Thurles this Sunday.

In this respect however, Feeney takes the Henry Ford view of history. Bunk, more or less, isn’t it?

“They (Cork) know, as do we, it all comes down to the 70-odd minutes of hurling on the day, you have to perform for that 70 minutes.

It doesn’t matter how well you prepare, ultimately it comes down to that 70 minutes. It doesn’t matter how well Cork played against Clare, they will have to perform in the Munster final, just as we’ll have to perform if we’re to win this.

A born diplomat, no doubt about it, but still, if Feeney has his way, and with no disrespect to Cork, there will be one very happy Waterford man in EMC next Monday. And a lot of less-than-pleased Corkonians.