Connors looking for magic key

In his years studying for his degree in WIT, Noel Connors has played alongside many of the Kilkenny team who have swept all before them in the recent past.

They come from just across the river, breathe the same air, drink the same water, eat the same food, have similar playing populations and yet on the inter-county scene, since Waterford won their last All-Ireland title in 1959, Kilkenny have won 20. That’s right, 20.

So what is it? As Waterford set out on the championship road again tomorrow, against Clare in Semple Stadium, what is it that’s holding the Déise men back?

“If I knew the answer to that question we’d all be successful, winning every day! It’s the ultimate question, though. I don’t have the answer to it.

“I don’t know if it’s a mental thing but winning is a mentality and things do creep into the back of your head. For most teams, if you’re a point or two ahead of someone like Kilkenny it’s in the back of your mind that they could get a quick goal and turn the game.”

The frustrating thing from a Waterford point of view is that for decades Munster was the mountain and for many of those years Cork were the major obstacle. The Noughties though, put an end to that, four Munster titles won and Cork put to the sword on several occasions.

Now when Waterford face that old blood-and-bandage it’s with a swagger; put the black-and-amber out there though, or even the blue-and-gold of the other great rivals Tipperary, and it’s a different story. Has to be psychological then, surely?

“When you look at it from that perspective then yes, it could be something psychological, but I don’t think that’s the full picture.

“It’s part of it, but all those parts are pieces of a bigger picture and if one element is missing it weakens the whole lot. You need everything. The skills, the speed, being able to read the game and so on, you have to have all those things in place. It just seems that Kilkenny and now Tipperary have all of that, are gelling everything well together.”

So how far are Waterford now from doing likewise?

“In the last few years we were very young. I don’t know that we were naïve, probably the wrong word. We have a lot of experienced players too, well established. But we have lost a good few guys over the last few seasons who had been through the mill, the likes of Ken McGrath, Eoin Kelly, Dan Shanahan and now John Mullane, but luckily we have a lot of good young lads coming through. Winning is a habit and we have been deprived of success. At underage and at college level though, fellas have come on and showed us what it’s all about and this year especially you can see a lot of the younger fellas coming through with that hunger, that desire to win because of their college, their club.”

Desire then, confidence, and Waterford will lack for neither against Clare. The problem for them this year, however, the challenge for Noel and the others in the Waterford defence, is that they’re meeting a Clare side also bursting with confidence and bristling with threat in what is a very young attack.

“At underage for the last few years and now at senior level they’ve been absolutely phenomenal, and not just the inside forwards — all their forwards are very fast, very athletic, and very physical.

“Darach Honan is a prime example, a big man but he can move when he gets the ball; he’s just one fella you have to look at. Big long stride, but all of their forwards are nippy; they mightn’t be that tall but by God they make up for it with their speed and skill.”

They’ll present different looks to the defence, different tactics — how does an inside defender counter that? Does he go, does he stay?

“There’s been a transformation in recent years but ultimately it’s still the same, you still have a man to mark and your main priority is to stop him from winning the ball and if he does, stop him from scoring.

“The priority of any back man is to keep his man scoreless. We have a lot of experience in that defence, I think that’s why we were so successful in the league — I don’t think we conceded too many goals and that was the backbone of why we kept our Division 1A status.”