Mullane: all set up for Banner

WATERFORD may find themselves odds-on favourites to come away with the spoils against Clare next Monday but John Mullane believes the game is “set up” for Ger O’Loughlin’s troops.

The Banner men are rank outsiders for the Bank Holiday meeting inSemple Stadium with the prize for victory a Munster final slot againsteither Cork or Limerick on July 11.

“It is set up for them big time,” said Mullane. “If you are looking at the league final against Wexford, in my opinion they only played to 50% of their capabilities. The only way for them now is up.

“Their backs are to the wall up in Clare and their own supporters are probably writing them off. When their backs are to the wall there is only one thing that can happen. You come out fighting.

“There’s a lot of those Clare players with a lot of pride in the Clare jersey and it was only last year that a lot of them won an U21 (All-Ireland) so there are a lot of serious hurlers on their team. It is set up big time for Clare.”

It is hardly any surprise that the two-time All Star should approach Clare with caution. As he points out himself, Waterford have lost four of the last championship tussles in this head-to-head.

It also happens to be an environment in which the unexpected should be expected, as was the case back in 2004 when Waterford had 19 points to spare just a week after a league finaldrubbing against Galway.

The same happened in reverse the last time they drifted each other’s way in the provincial pool two years ago when Clare confounded the ‘expert’ opinion to rack up a nine-point win.

This latest get-together is coloured by dint of the fact that Clare have spent their spring trying, unsuccessfully, to free themselves from Division Two’s quagmire while Waterford inhaled thinner air.

The difference between both tiers was apparent last weekend when Galway pulled away from Wexford in Nowlan Park but Mullane has been bitten by Clare once and doesn’t intend on being twice shy.

It’s strange how the world turns.

That 2008 clash remains etched in Waterford memories for more reasons than the mere scoreline as it proved to be the rock on which Justin McCarthy’s love affair with the squad finally split.

Within weeks Davy Fitzgerald was ushered in as a replacement and Mullane concedes that the Clareman will be feeling a tad extra pressure as he faces up to old comrades in four days’ time.

That may be no bad thing if it deflects attention and pressure away from his players but it will be somewhat counter-balanced by what the sight of ‘Fitzy’ will do for their opponents’ motivation levels.

“It was a bit like us last year with Justin and we went down to play Limerick. We didn’t want to lose to Justin. It will be no different for the Clare players. They won’t want to be on the wrong end against Davy.”

Mullane will hardly lack for desire either.

One of half a dozen elder statesmen rested during the earlier rounds of the league by Fitzgerald, he has admitted to thinking that he could have done with a few more games before turning towards the summer.

That said, he is 29 now with a good few miles on the clock and he was able to see it from his manager’s point of view but he approaches Monday somewhat unsure as to how he or his team stands.

“Things have been relatively quiet. We have played a few challenge games and things have been up and down. We played Kilkenny in a challenge game and it probably wasn’t too great for us.

“They beat us very well in a tournament game down in Mooncoin so it has been topsy-turvy and we probably don’t know what way we stand going into the championship.”

It may be some time, if at all, before they cross paths with the reigning All-Ireland champions but Mullane was left deeply impressed at how Kilkenny left their indifferent league form behind them three weeks ago.

Brian Cody’s side raided for five goals and 19 points that evening and Mullane detected much of their famed ruthlessness in how they had the game put to bed by the time the second quarter had found its feet.

“They have been very quiet and I can’t get over how quiet the talk is considering that they are going for immortality and this five-in-a-row. That is the path they want to take but they still are the team to beat. With Noel Hickey back too they seem to be stronger than they were last year.”