Two teams on a high
Good times, says Waterford attacker Eoin Kelly.
“There’s a feelgood factor in Waterford at the moment alright. The lads winning the Harty Cup gives everyone a lift — it certainly inspired us to win another trophy this year, definitely, while Waterford colleges did well in the B and C-grade Munster competitions this year as well.
“The fact that there were four Waterford senior panellists on the WIT team is another help, of course. There’s a good buzz around the place because of all that — you’d notice it.”
A rising tide doesn’t discriminate between boats, of course. Kilkenny supplied a few members of that WIT team as well, and senior hurling selector Martin Fogarty acknowledges the improvement Fitzgibbon Cup hurling brings in players.
“It’s great for player development — it’s an adult level of hurling, a tough competitive grade that progresses lads. They gain huge experience because it’s on a part with U-21 intercounty, and sometimes above it.
“That gives players a very good grounding for intercounty senior hurling. We always keep an eye on that.”
Unfortunately for Fogarty and co, one of the stand-out Cats on that WIT team is unavailable this weekend. He won’t be alone on the Kilkenny sideline either.
“John Dalton was very good for WIT but he’s out with an ankle injury. Derek Lyng’s ankle needed an operation last week, so he’s out for a couple of months. Willie O’Dwyer’s wrist is fractured.
“I don’t know if you would call it a crisis, that’s a very strong word, but we do have a lot of lads hurt at the moment. There are three lads out with cruciate ligament injuries — Henry (Shefflin), (John) Tennyson and Richie O’Neill.
“The cruciate, you just don’t know how it’s going to go. There’s a rehab period but you can’t tell what’ll come out the other end, it’s more hope than anything else. Derek (Lyng) should be alright for the championship, but he’s facing an eight-week lay-off at the moment.”
Eoin Kelly points to a couple of long-term absentees on the Waterford side: “It’ll be another couple of months before Paul (Flynn) and Tony (Browne) are match fit. Paul had an ankle operation recently, so he’s coming back from that, while Tony is being rested at the moment. The other side of that is there’s a chance there for the young lads to come in now and put a marker down for the championship.”
Kelly articulates most people’s view of the Kilkenny panel: “They have huge strength in depth, and they have players coming in as replacements all the time. It’s like a conveyor belt they have up there, I’d say their 15-on-15 games in training are unbelievable.”
Fogarty, however, disagrees with the general consensus that the Cats’ second 15 is as good as the first-choice team.
“That talk is nonsense,” he says. “There’s nobody can put out a second team as good as the first team, and they never could. If it was we’d be putting that second team out. Nobody has that kind of strength in depth. How many intercounty hurling games go down to the wire and there’s only a point or two in it at the end? That answers that question.”
Whether games go to the wire or not, Kilkenny have a knack of winning them, though Waterford edged them out in last year’s league decider.
“You have to treat Kilkenny with respect,” says Kelly. “All-Ireland champions for the last two years, they deserve respect for everything they’ve won. They deserve all the respect they get.
“Last year’s League final is gone by the board now — that was last year, this is completely different. For one thing, they probably have 10 changes from the team they put out against us last year.
“They might have a lot of younger players out tomorrow, but they’ll have plenty of experienced players in alongside them.”
Fogarty responds in kind to the praise.
“Waterford are serious contenders, that’s clear. They may have fallen at the last post once or twice, but it’s been a fine line. Just because a team doesn’t win the All-Ireland in a particular year, that doesn’t mean they won’t be contenders the following year. It’s a very fine line at the top level — the results bear that out.
“For us, there’s no point looking at every team we might come up against down the line. We treat all teams that we play exactly the same — with the utmost respect. Our aim always is to get our team working to its maximum potential, to play the same level every day.
“Now that doesn’t work every day, and the other reality is that while it shouldn’t matter who you’re playing, you could be up against a team that beat you last year or whatever, a team that’s motivated to do well against you. But that shouldn’t matter too much. Not if your team is ready, and that’s our aim.”
Though Fogarty says Kilkenny concentrate on minding their own house, they’re aware of a power growing to the east. They had eight points to spare over Dublin in their recent league clash, but the sky blues are knocking on the door and they’re bound to gain entry eventually.
“A force is whoever is winning at a given time, and now Dublin are the top team in Leinster underage,” says Fogarty. “They won the minor last year and the year before, and the U-21 last year. They’re laying down the markers at underage level and there’s huge work being put into hurling in the city.
“At senior level this year in the league they weren’t as good as they were last year, but they have quality players. To break through isn’t easy but Dublin are up there. They’re getting closer all the time.”
Kelly is looking forward to tomorrow’s clash: “Any day you can run out in the full of your health to play a game is great; it could all be taken away in a second, and you have to appreciate it when you have the chance. We’re looking forward to it.”
So is everyone else in the sunny southeast, though the Waterford man is also looking forward to the following week.
“I’d see Martin Comerford regularly enough in work, but he hasn’t been in all week, funny enough. I’d say he’s waiting for next Tuesday!”
*NHL: Kilkenny v Waterford, Nowlan Park, 2.30pm (live on TG4).
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