It’s about keeping recovery going for Waterford

Admit it. You weren’t expecting Waterford to have begun the season with such a flourish. You weren’t expecting them to be two from two. You might not have been expecting them to struggle, to be instantly mired in Second Season Syndrome, but you surely weren’t anticipating that they’d do a job on the All-Ireland champions at Walsh Park, then travel to Páirc Uí Rinn and breeze past the hosts.

C’mon, admit it. You know you want to. As for that Derek McGrath lad, he may be surprising you as well. Feel free to admit that too.

But be sure of this much. Whether the defending NHL champions had begun with two wins or two defeats, McGrath would have treated them just like Kipling’s masquerading duo. For here’s a man who’s playing the long game. There are things he’s trying to achieve and there are things he’s not achieved — not just yet anyway.