Minors made of style and substance - Waterford v Galway preview

 

Seven games and 440 minutes to get this far. Seán Power knows that composure at both ends of the field and a sixty minute showing will take them a long way. The raw material exists in an unchanged fifteen and in an attack minded substitutes bench to seize the day.

At the media night almost two weeks ago, there was a sense of purpose and inner belief. The Hawkeye saga didn’t cloud their focus. Playing on the All Ireland undercard shouldn’t rattle them for two reasons. The college campaigns mean that these players are accustomed to gearing up for big occasions and more importantly emerging on the right side of the verdict. The All Ireland semi final also gave them a sample of what to expect on Sunday. They hit the field an hour early as selector Kieran O’Gorman explained. “They had a few shots at goal, had a walk around, see what studs would they wear and things like that. I don’t think that the place got to them on the day. I think they handled it well and they showed a lot of maturity for eighteen year olds.”

They will draw on all of these experiences on Sunday, both positive and negative. At times, Waterford have appeared vulnerable. Take the nine point deficit they faced 18 minutes in at Pairc Ui Rinn. Or letting an eight point advantage go down the drain in the drawn Munster final. O’Gorman also revealed that the swell of Limerick support on that afternoon overwhelmed some of the players. “The day of the Munster final in Limerick a few of them did say that with the double Limerick support there that when Limerick started to come back into it the noise was unbelievable. They never witnessed anything like it before but that was a lesson that they learnt. It was a harsh lesson but I don’t think it will affect them.” A middling performance followed in the replay, Stephen Bennett apart, as Limerick made the necessary adjustments. No provincial silverware to show for their efforts but it steeled Waterford for the All Ireland series. A couple of tweaks in selection around the half back line and midfield paid off against Kilkenny and the forwards now have a settled feel.

The backbone in this team has been tested but they have displayed remarkable powers of recovery to retrieve each sticky situation. Leaders emerged at different junctures. Austin Gleeson repelled the Rebel waves, Stephen Bennett stuck a hat trick when others wilted in Semple Stadium, DJ Foran put his hand up to catch and score at a vital time against Kilkenny and the list goes on. O’Gorman saw a defiant attitude in how they closed out the semi final. “I think when we went down to 14 men, they really galvanised and they really came together as a group. I could sense that these guys did not want to be beaten again.”

Waterford will hardly abandon their expansive strategy this late. Management have placed their faith in the forwards to take the right option. Stephen Bennett’s philosophy is simple. “If you are straight through on goal, any time with myself and all of the other forwards, if you are one on one with the keeper you have only got goal on your mind.” 20 goals so far supports that theory but Galway don’t concede easily. They have kept two clean slates in 140 minutes of action. Apart from the searing speed of Cian Lynch down the wing, Limerick carved very few openings. They were reliant on their long distance accuracy as midfielder Darragh O’Donovan grabbed three points. Towering full forward Tom Morrissey barely got a sniff and all three members of the inside line watched the closing stages from the dugout.

The conundrum that Mattie Murphy faces is that Waterford’s threat is not totally reliant on Bennett. Kilkenny held him to a point from play and they still prevailed. Patrick Curran converted a difficult shot in front of the Cusack last time around and showed a dependability over the frees yet he can lift his game another notch. When he cuts loose, he can pile on the points and reach double figures. Then you have the likes of DJ Foran hitting a hot streak and Michael Keaney looking to reproduce his club form. The starting six forwards have claimed 17  majors between them. Furthermore, fifteen different players head in to Sunday with a score of some description to their credit.

In defence, it is a case of keeping cools head and not diving into challenges. Power put his finger on it at the media briefing. “A lot of it can be put down to a lot of over exuberance by players as well so there is that bit of control needed. We have demonstrated control in other games so we have it in us. It’s a just matter of not being overzealous or overeager for the ball and putting your hand or your leg in where you shouldn’t.” A couple of those hair raising darts from defence out of Austin Gleeson will fill them with confidence. The Mount Sion number six has been man of the match in three of the seven matches. He carries a weight of expectation but there is no suggestion so far that it seeps into his performance.

Mattie Murphy also relies on a gem of a centre back to manage the game. Shane Cooney exerted control against Limerick and this is one match-up that Sean Power must examine carefully. Cooney started for St Thomas’ back in March when they took All Ireland club honours so he knows the terrain.

Brian Molloy will adminster punishment from frees and while he heads their list of scorers, he doesn't operate alone. This is another slick bunch of forwards assembled under Murphy's watch. Apart from Molloy's excellence, Conor Whelan and Adrian Morrissey contributed seven points between them in the extra time triumph over Limerick.

Of course, the variables of any minor hurling match come into play. Who will settle down quickest? Which marquee names will live up to their billing? Who will emerge from the pack and hit an unexpected peak? And we haven't even mentioned Cathal McAllister yet. Based on the evidence to hand, Waterford possess plenty of talent and mettle to implement the pointers picked up on a twisty journey to September.