Dan Shanahan stresses the positives

On a sunny afternoon in Dungarvan, Dan Shanahan is his usual self. Positive. Optimistic. 

Waterford may have gone down to defeat in the Munster hurling final but their season rolls on with an All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin tomorrow: glass half-full.

“Was it disappointing not to win the Munster title? Of course it was,” Shanahan says.

“We were there or thereabouts with 10 minutes to go, and we were confident. That makes it harder to take in a lot of ways.

“There are plenty of positives for us to take out of it, though. There were players on our team who were minors involved in the curtain-raiser to the Munster final only two years ago: that experience is bound to stand to them, from the trip to the stadium to how to manage the game itself.

“And the great thing, of course, is that we have another game tomorrow where they can show what they learned. Tipperary are a good team, too. There’s no disgrace in losing to a good team and they performed well on the day — they have players who’ve won All-Irelands, who’ve played in plenty of All-Ireland finals, but they had to learn as well, and nothing teaches you a lesson like losing a big game.”

Three nights after that senior defeat, players such as Austin Gleeson, Tadhg de Burca, Colin Dunford and Tom Devine had to head for Ennis and an U21 clash with Clare. The hosts won, depriving Waterford of a midweek boost.

“That was a pity,” says Shanahan. “For the lads themselves more than anything.

“The senior game probably took a lot out of them, and trying to get themselves right just a couple of days afterwards was always going to be a tall order.

“From our point of view, though, they came back in, put that game away and they’ve just driven it on getting themselves ready for tomorrow. Their attitude has been top class.”

So has Waterford’s application of a distinct pattern of play. Every hurling commentator has observed the way manager Derek McGrath has set up to team — to drop back in numbers before coming forward in waves, with players driving forward for short passes before hitting points from distance.

“I think the talk about that has calmed down a little now,” says Shanahan.

“When we got the goals against Cork it probably proved to people that it wasn’t Donegal tactics applied to hurling, or whatever way people were describing it.

“As Derek has said a couple of times, there’s a structure but the players also have freedom to play within that.

“You can’t go out onto the field and tell a player to do this or to go there. They have that freedom to make decisions themselves as the game develops, to play what they see in front of them.

“I’m sure Dublin have studied us well and will probably have their own plans made for tomorrow. They had to dig in and fight hard to get the win over Limerick the last day, and fair play to them for doing it.

“No matter what tactics or plans you have, the players have to have the right attitude and appetite for work when they go onto the field.

“If they don’t give 100% commitment then all the plans in the world won’t help you.” For a youthful team with one national title already in the bag — the league — making an All-Ireland semi-final is a huge incentive.

A championship game in Croke Park would only underline Waterford’s huge progress this year, and the fact that they could face neighbours Kilkenny in that semi-final makes it an even more enticing prospect.

Shanahan isn’t biting, however, when you raise that possibility.

“That doesn’t even exist for us,” he says. “All year we’ve preached the same thing — the next game. We’ve only thought in those terms and we won’t change now. I know what the permutations are but we haven’t given them a thought, honestly. Derek has said all the time that we’ll keep the outside out, and that continues for this game, too.

“Remember, Dublin have good experience to draw on, only two years ago they were toe to toe with Cork in an All-Ireland semi-final and could have made it to the final.

“They’re very strong physically — if you stand on the sideline and watch them coming out onto the field they’re all big, strong men.

“Ger (Cunningham, Dublin manager) will have them well briefed. He’s a good guy to have on the line and he’d know a lot of our lads from his time with Ballygunner and with UCC. They’re a fine team but we’re looking forward to it. Our lads have trained on well and they’re hugely determined — to win tomorrow, to do themselves proud, to keep the summer going for everybody in Waterford.”