Bonnar: no great pressure on Waterford players this time

THE Waterford hurlers had good reason to feel optimistic about their prospects when the draw for the Guinness Munster SHC was made.

The champions came out on the opposite side to Cork, Clare and Tipperary, who were being talked of them as probable All-Ireland finalists. As long as they would be mentally geared up to play Kerry, all that stood between them and a second consecutive appearance in the final was the challenge from a young and inexperienced Limerick side.

Making the breakthrough in 2002 after a wait of 39 years, in the words of selector Colm Bonnar, ‘was a huge monkey off their back.’