Connors looks on bright side as young guns lift Déise

POSITIVITY oozes through Noel Connors’ pores as quickly as it courses through his veins. Why shouldn’t it? It’s an attitude that’s earned him a Munster title as well as an All Star and two nominations in his first two full seasons playing senior hurling with Waterford.

It’s an attitude that has seen him overcome a troublesome ankle injury to take his place in his county’s full-back line against Cork tomorrow. If smiling means he keeps playing – and winning – then you’re going to see a lot more of his pearly choppers.

From defeats, he readily picks the pluses. That sore ankle forced him out of last Saturday’s defeat to Tipperary but he came away from Semple Stadium accentuating the credit his team-mates took from the game after losing Shane O’Sullivan and Clinton Hennessy to straight red cards.

“The team finished with 13 men but we drew the second half with them,” he said. “Managing to do that against the All-Ireland champions was great for us to achieve.

“We have so many young fellas coming through like Shane Fives, Darragh Fives and Paudie Mahony. That’s a great thing for Waterford hurling.

“We’re not depending on the same few fellas that have given so much dedication and commitment to Waterford hurling over the last number of years.

“We weren’t happy with losing but considering we were playing with 13 men in the backyard of the All-Ireland champions, there were pros there for us to look at.”

O’Connor looks around the dressing room and sees like-minded young 20-somethings ready to take the baton from the tried and trusted.

Up front, the free-taking skills of Eoin Kelly have gone largely unnoticed this year as Richie Foley has taken up the mantle.

“You can’t keep depending on the older fellas to get scores. We’re long enough looking at the likes of Mullane, Kelly and Prendergast to do it.

“It’s essential too. These fellas have so many miles on the clock that they can’t keep going forever. It’s great to see Richie Foley and the rest of the boys stepping up to the plate now.”

Connors is very much a disciple of Davy Fitzgerald. As the Waterford manager faces a potential 12-week ban for alleged comments to a referee, the Passage man is an excellent character witness for the defence.

Connors argues Limerick IT wouldn’t have reached the Fitzgibbon Cup final without him as a manager.

“If you compare that LIT team to UCD or UL, they had all the household names and inter-county names. They could compete because they have a leader like Davy and that just shows how much commitment that man has.”

The same rule applies in Waterford. If a player is prepared to do the work, Fitzgerald will find a way of getting the best out of him.

“It doesn’t bother him at all what kind of a team you are on paper. He would take over 15 people who had never held a hurley before. As long as he gets 100% commitment he’ll give everything he can,” Connors added.

Tomorrow’s encounter generates memories of Waterford’s extra-time Munster final replay win over Cork in Thurles last July.

Dan Shanahan’s skirting shot was too good for Dónal Óg Cusack and the provincial title was Waterford’s but the achievement had as much to do with the team’s rearguard as it had with the now retired Lismore man’s strike.

Cork’s Pat Horgan finished the year with an All Star nomination but Connors contributed heavily to keeping him scoreless from play in both games. That replay was played on a Saturday evening under lights, a situation former Munster PRO Jim Forbes last weekend said should never happen again.

Connors is of the same mind. “I think that Sunday is the day. We played on a Monday (v Clare last year) and it wasn’t the same. It’s a different feeling.”

No fears about tomorrow, though. Sunday is indeed the day.

Picture: Cork's Cathal Naughton and Noel Connors of Waterford. Picture: INPHO