Molumphy confident ahead of banner clash

Stephen Molumphy certainly belies his years.

The 23-year-old is as confident as they come despite only entering his second full championship season with the Déise and he is eagerly anticipating Sunday's crunch clash with Clare.

The TV3 cameras may be beaming down live this weekend on Molumphy and his colleagues for the first time along with expectations of Waterford supporters, but the Ballyduff Upper clubman, who captained his side to Waterford SHC glory last year, says that he enjoys the build-up to big matches.

"The fans make the occasion. The Waterford fans are fantastic and they'll support you when you are down and when you are up. They'll travel anywhere and they are always behind you," Molumphy said.

"On the big day and the big game when someone scores and so-forth, the roar you hear it's like they are right beside you and they are actually helping you. It's fantastic."

And Molumphy is hoping that that support will again come to the fore as Waterford strive for victory on Sunday at the Gaelic Grounds.

The Banner have not won a Munster championship game since 2003, a statistic which Molumphy confesses that he is surprised by.

"That's a statistic I wouldn't have thought about of Clare. They are always a very strong team and have a lot of pride in their jersey.

"They're strong spirit and they'll keep going until the very end and we know that.

"We have been preparing for this – we know it's going to be a long, tough battle both physically and mentally and it will go right down to the last minute," he added.

"We are focused on Clare. Again this is what we are thinking of – there's no next match or before the match. The Clare match is our world now and basically we are going to win."

A lot has been said about Waterford's failure to reach an All-Ireland final in recent years and their failure to build on their positive runs in Munster. However Molumphy dismisses the notion that things have gone wrong for his side.

"I wouldn't say things have gone wrong. Waterford have had more success over the last couple of years than we had in a few decades," he said.

"We are getting closer and we are learning all of the time. You aren't going to just jump off and win it first day out, you have to build up and that's exactly what we have been doing.

"We might be a long time in the building but we are learning each time, progressing and getting better."

But the talented forward, who made his debut as s substitute against Laois in the 2006 All-Ireland qualifiers, concedes that the heartbreak of last year's All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Limerick is something which is still very much lingering in the players' minds.

"When it happened first we were obviously devastated, a couple of months after you are still devastated. I don't think it will ever leave you, you'll always have that with you for the rest of your life," he said.

"You have to learn from it. The day you stop working hard is the day you lose.

"We were focused going into that match but on the day things just didn't go our way. What it has done, it has given us more hunger for this year and in particular to win this match."

And although Molumphy has had more good days than bad since that 2006 debut, along with an All-Star award last year, he feels that it has not been all a dream for him since he pulled on the white and blue jersey.

"I wouldn't say a dream - a dream would obviously have been winning the Liam McCarthy Cup," he said.

"Having said that, it has been fantastic.

"It's because of Justin and the management – Seamie Hannon, Nicky Cashin and Michael Ryan. When I came on first I got taken off in the second half, but they tell you about your mistakes.

"You listen and you improve, each one has a different kind of trait and when you get them together and improve on your mistakes - you are always going to make mistakes - but you limit those.

"In the next game you go out again, and when you come off they will tell you what you done wrong and where you can do better.

"If you listen to Justin and that worked, he'll say that you can improve and hopefully keep winning."

Looking at Waterford's current injury crisis, Molumphy believes that things are not as bad as they seem and that there is a huge strength in depth in the squad at present, which he expects will rise to the challenge on Sunday.

"Without a shadow of a doubt (there is a strength in depth for us).

"The injuries – you are going to have those in every championship. You do the normal thing, you get them patched up and you get them ready as soon as possible and get back.

"The amount and abundance of talent we just have is unbelievable. Our teamwork (is also key) – unless a guy works harder than let's say last year or the match before, he'll get the call from the sideline and a player of equal if not better calibre will come on."