Bannermen will pose Déise a Clare and present danger

A YEAR ago there would have been only one verdict here. Of the two sides, Waterford are the team with the big-game experience, the big-name players and the talent. A number of significant factors, however, have combined to change the picture.

Waterford did not have a good league and lost a play-off game to an under-strength Cork side. Waterford haven’t been doing well lately in some of their challenge matches, Waterford have lost several key players to injury; all the accusatory fingers then are pointed at the Decies, and all indicate a growing vulnerability. Fair?

Well, while Clare didn’t set the world on fire in the league either, finished well out of the playoff picture in division 1B, there were extenuating circumstances.