Rathgormack's regret: 'We should have beaten them...if only we'd had a night's sleep'
POWER-PACKED: Rathgormack's Declan Power clearing his lines under pressure from a trio of Killorglin players in the 1996 Munster Club SFC replay at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney. Pic: Dan Linehan.
Thumping dance music kept the Rathgormack players awake the Saturday night before the 1996 Munster semi-final replay against Laune Rangers.
The previous week, the Waterford champions earned a draw against the defending All Ireland champions in Fraher Field. The return trip to Kerry turned into a nightmare.
“The big mistake we made was we stayed the night before,” according to former Rathgormack attacker Ger Power.
“Something we had never done. We had a meeting about it after the drawn game and I said to everybody ‘let’s not go down there, let’s sleep in our own beds.’ We stayed in Castleisland, in the hotel, and there was music blasting the whole night long downstairs.
"I was nearly going to get up out of bed at one stage and cut the bloody wires! I couldn’t sleep. I got up the next morning and we were all wrecked tired.”
Rathgormack led 0-4 to 0-1 at half time but ran out of steam and lost an ill-tempered affair by 0-8 to 0-4.
Power felt that the first game was one that got away. It finished 1-5 apiece with the full forward kicking the equaliser. They held Laune Rangers scoreless in the opening half.
“We should have beaten them. We were better than Laune Rangers but we just didn’t have as much self-belief as they had. I’m fully convinced we had better players than them.”
Rangers boss John Evans was a relieved man. “Rathgormack came out and put the wind up us,” he told reporters afterwards. “They were a very enthusiastic team and we were lucky to survive down here in Waterford.”
2,500 spectators showed up to Fraher Field that afternoon. “Laune Rangers had Mike Frank Russell and the Hassetts (Mike and Liam),” recalls former Waterford manager John ‘Jackson’ Kiely. “They were the reigning All Ireland champions and they were red hot favourites. I remember Richie Power and Martin Power giving mighty performances.”
Kiely raves about the Rathgormack half back line of the mid 90s. “Dan Crotty was small in stature but he was very fast. A dynamic wing back. Brendan Curry was rock solid at centre back. He gave his heart and soul to it and his young fellas are the same Michael and Jason. Dinny Hassett was outstanding. I don’t think he ever played a bad game for Rathgormack.”
The men in green and red were a Power-packed outfit back then. Five brothers started in 1996. Declan and Kevin in the full back line, Martin at centre forward as well as Sean and Ger up top. And not forgetting cousin Richie at midfield. “They were all good but Martin stood out. He was a big, powerful man about six foot four. Strong and fearless. He was very good in the air and developed into a top class free taker."
That Rathgormack team claimed three Conway Cups but missed out on a Munster final appearance. Three years later, they lost another provincial semi to UCC after a replay. “They had UCC beaten above in Páirc Uí Rinn,” Kiely says. “A ball was coming out of defence, time was up and one of the defenders decided to kick it out over the line. UCC manoeuvred the equalising point from the resulting line ball.”
To cause a shock against Dr Crokes on Sunday, Kerry attacker Tony Brosnan must be stopped in Kiely’s opinion. “He has a new lease of life. Every game I’m after watching, he’s been the leading scorer for them. He’s kicking points for fun. A man marking job on him would go a fair bit towards keeping their forward line in check. He’s their main score getter. I’d put Willie Hahessy on Tony Brosnan. I think he’s awesome. Every time I watch him play for Rathgormack, he’s outstanding.”
2007 was the last time a Waterford club got the better of Kerry opposition in the provincial championship. Ballinacourty won away to Kilcummin on that occasion. “I know they’re from Kerry but they are beatable. If you look at last week, the Westmeath hurling champions Castletown Geoghegan hammered the Kilkenny champions Thomastown. Anything is possible but being realistic, if you were tipping somebody, you have to tip the Crokes to win. I just hope with Rathgormack that they all play well on the day. James Power covered every blade of grass in the county final. There is a bit of dash to him. Himself and Conor Murray are two good playmakers on the wings. You’d have to give Rathgormack a chance if their defence can hold the Crokes attack.”
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