Relegation is supposed to be a punishment for poor performances but for Waterford it was a journey of discovery and confidence building, in year two of a campaign that was preceded by a rough first year for manager Derek McGrath. Heavy beatings by Kilkenny and Clare showed just how far the behind the Deise were as space was gifted to opposition players running through like a dog escaping via an open gate, so what do you do? Closing the gate seems like the obvious choice and so far that’s proven to be the right one, close the gate and the dog finds it harder to get out.
Waterford climbed out of Division 1B unscathed before going on to beat Galway, Tipperary and then Cork in the Allianz League Final. Those wins provided a valuable source of confidence according to Jamesie O’Connor; “first of all the game plan and system was the right one for them and secondly winning matches bred confidence heading the Championship”.
That confidence helped them overcome Cork and Dublin and in defeat against Tipperary show that they can compete with the best in a Championship context. You can sense the BUT coming right? The BUT is, can they perform in Croke Park in their first senior Championship game at headquarters since 2011 when they lost by six points to Kilkenny? It's true that Waterford are a very young side but there are some links to their last game on Jones’s Road in the starting 15 including All-Stars Noel Connors, Kevin Moran and Michael Walsh as well as Daragh Fives, while Maurice Shanahan was sprung from the bench scoring 3 points.
Stepping up to perform in Croke Park was something Jamesie O’Connor did in 1995 when the Banner captured a first All Ireland since 1914 and he says adapting won’t be a big issue for the Deise; “It’s home from home for Kilkenny but for the Waterford players some of them have been there before and I think the younger players will relish playing there. I think it was hugely important regardless of how the game goes that they get the experience of playing a big game in headquarters I don’t see it as being a huge disadvantage either way”.
With all the praise of Waterford one might forget that they actually lost the Munster final and only pulled away from Dublin in the second half of their quarter final. An extra gear is required by the Suirsiders if they’re to win this game according to O’Connor: “I think the Waterford players will be focused on the job ahead of them. They know what they are facing and they know that what they produced in the Munster final against Tipperary and against Cork and Dublin won’t be good enough.
"On Sunday they’re going to have to find another 10 or 15 percent. They’re in a great place, they’re exactly where they want to be and they’re there on merit. I think it’s bonus territory for them they have silverware. They’ve ticked all the boxes to date if they can deliver a performance they’ll feel they have chance.
“Goals win games Ger” is one of our favourite Cyrill Farrell sayings but as Waterford know from their recent history against Kilkenny goals also lose matches if you let them in! So far they’ve concede only two in the Championship and that for Jamesie is a platform to build on; “they haven’t conceded that many goals they held the Tipperary forward line goalless and that’s a Tipp forward line that have opened up others including Kilkenny at will if they can deny Kilkenny the green flags then they’ll feel they have every chance”.
Waterford haven’t beaten Kilkenny in a Championship match since 1959 and although there have been close encounters, and in 2008 not so close, it will probably come down to goals as previous results prove:
2013: Kilkenny 1-22 Waterford 2-16 after extra-time (Round 3 Qualifiers)
2011: Kilkenny 2-19 Waterford 1-16 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2009: Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 3-15 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2008: Kilkenny 3-30 Waterford 1-13 (All-Ireland final)
2004: Kilkenny 3-12 Waterford 0-18 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1998: Kilkenny 1-11 Waterford 1-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1963: Kilkenny 4-17 Waterford 6-8 (All-Ireland final)
1959: Waterford 3-12 Kilkenny 1-10 (All-Ireland final replay)
1959: Waterford 1-17 Kilkenny 5-5 (All-Ireland final)
1957: Kilkenny 4-10 Waterford 3-12 (All-Ireland final)
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