Walsh wary Kilkenny pose same goal threat as Tipperary
Although Tony Browne and Michael Walsh visited the cryotherapy chamber in Wexford town’s Whites Hotel following the win over Galway, the pair are expected to be fit for the game.
The half-back pair reported tight hamstrings after the quarter-final last Sunday week but have been taking a full part in training.
Manager Davy Fitzgerald said: “We’ve the usual couple of niggles but everybody looks to be in decent shape, thank God.”
Meanwhile, full-forward Shane Walsh believes the decision made by the players not to drown their sorrows following their humiliating Munster final defeat was important in sowing the seeds for the recovery against Galway.
Instead, manager Davy Fitzgerald arranged a recovery session and meeting for the entire group the following morning at nine o’clock in Dungarvan.
“It was probably the best decision,” said Walsh, “because the public wouldn’t really like to see you out having a few pints, drowning your sorrows, after taking a beating like that.
“You just go home, you need to hurt. We had the meeting the next morning and we drove on from there.
“In fairness to Davy, he organised a session the morning after; we had a meeting, we threw everything out on the table and it was probably the best thing we ever done.”
It was at the following Wednesday night’s training session where skin and blood was flying that Walsh sensed the players weren’t prepared to allow Galway do the same to them as Tipperary.
Walsh’s early goal against Galway set the tone for what was to come from Waterford as they ensured the opposition never got a foothold in the game.
“It was very important to get a good start. Eoin (Kelly) took the responsibility to take the free and going for it, and fair dues to him.
“Luckily enough, the ball just came up and I got my hurley to it. It was a lucky goal but it was a good start for Waterford.”
Another good start is needed on Sunday as Walsh knows Kilkenny pose a similar goal threat to Tipperary.
What they can’t let reoccur is panic to set in, warns the 28-year-old Fourmilewater man.
“I think it was 5-10 to 0-8 at half-time, we dropped our heads after the third goal went in.
“We can’t leave that to happen again, we gave up.
“It was as simple as that. We got beaten all over the field, it wasn’t just the seven goals that went in, we were beaten up in the forwards as well.”
Walsh understands Kilkenny will have their purple patch in Croke Park. It’s just a question of keeping that period to a minimum.
“Kilkenny are going to get on top of us at some stage during the game. If they get a couple of goals we have to keep the heads, regroup and drive on to the very end.”
Those ghoulish memories of that 23-point All-Ireland final defeat to Kilkenny were somewhat abated by the following year’s five-point loss to the Cats.
“We can’t dwell on them,” insisted Walsh. “We can’t think about those games at all, we just need to concentrate on ourselves and work hard in training.”
But Walsh agrees Kilkenny have been made to look human following last year’s All-Ireland final loss.
“Of course it does yeah, it brings hope to everybody else, Tipperary winning the All-Ireland last year.
“They seem to be the team to beat this year, with Kilkenny, but we just need to concentrate on ourselves and get right for Sunday.”
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