Imprisoned in the intermediate grade from 1990 onwards, Cappoquin regularly threatened an escape. In recent memory, they lost to Tourin and An Rinn in close run Western finals. They carried plenty of baggage when Fintan O’Connor arrived as team trainer at the start of the season.
Ahead of another wrestle for honours up West, he felt that they just needed a gentle shove to attain their goal. “Like every team that have been close or knocking at the door, confidence is a huge thing. To get them to believe that they were good enough was the big thing. When I saw them playing, I always thought that they were good enough. It was just getting them to believe in themselves.”
The campaign has thrown up complications for the Cornerstone boys. They were reduced to fourteen with twenty minutes remaining of the Western semi final against An Rinn and then fell five points behind in the final. The type of obstructions they struggled to cope with in the past. They worked out solutions to these problems however and reclaimed the Raymond O’Brien Memorial Cup for the first time in 19 years.
Down by seven points a long way from home against Feakle, that confidence seemed shaken. O’Connor was an animated presence along the sideline as he roused the troops to retaliate. For the third time in their last four championship games, they managed to eke out a single score win. “It was very easy to give up and throw in the towel when you are down and out and away from home. They kept going. That was thing I was most proud of: their attitude and the way they didn’t give up. That’s a great sign of any team. It’s very easy to be good when you are winning but when you are down, it’s hard to keep going. That’s what I was most happy with.”
They also shrugged off the absence of three first choice players which feeds further into the good vibes at present. “The team showed a lot of character. We were down seven points at one stage playing with the breeze. It was great to turn it around. Hopefully we will have a couple of the lads back the next day which is adding to the positivity around the camp. It’s a first for everyone. It’s the first time the club have been in the Munster championship and it’s a great experience for the boys.”
Not for the first time this season they retrieved a rather grim situation but O’Connor recognises the need to eradicate those slow starts. They very nearly got cut off completely in Sixmilebridge. “It’s not something we are encouraging! We warmed up in a different venue and we only arrived twenty minutes beforehand. I think it kind of threw out the lads. We started nervously and slowly. It’s something we will have to try and look at. We can’t afford to give teams a four or five point start. It’s not going to keep happening for us.”
Prolific captain Shane O’Rourke never allowed his standards dip and O’Connor also praised the perseverance of the players around him. “He has been very good all year that way. He has been a reliable score getter from placed balls and from play. He kept us in it in the first half. The boys around him worked hard too and maybe didn’t get scores but set up scores for him and won vital frees when we weren’t in the game.”
Ahead of another wrestle for honours up West, he felt that they just needed a gentle shove to attain their goal. “Like every team that have been close or knocking at the door, confidence is a huge thing. To get them to believe that they were good enough was the big thing. When I saw them playing, I always thought that they were good enough. It was just getting them to believe in themselves.”
The campaign has thrown up complications for the Cornerstone boys. They were reduced to fourteen with twenty minutes remaining of the Western semi final against An Rinn and then fell five points behind in the final. The type of obstructions they struggled to cope with in the past. They worked out solutions to these problems however and reclaimed the Raymond O’Brien Memorial Cup for the first time in 19 years.
Down by seven points a long way from home against Feakle, that confidence seemed shaken. O’Connor was an animated presence along the sideline as he roused the troops to retaliate. For the third time in their last four championship games, they managed to eke out a single score win. “It was very easy to give up and throw in the towel when you are down and out and away from home. They kept going. That was thing I was most proud of: their attitude and the way they didn’t give up. That’s a great sign of any team. It’s very easy to be good when you are winning but when you are down, it’s hard to keep going. That’s what I was most happy with.”
They also shrugged off the absence of three first choice players which feeds further into the good vibes at present. “The team showed a lot of character. We were down seven points at one stage playing with the breeze. It was great to turn it around. Hopefully we will have a couple of the lads back the next day which is adding to the positivity around the camp. It’s a first for everyone. It’s the first time the club have been in the Munster championship and it’s a great experience for the boys.”
Not for the first time this season they retrieved a rather grim situation but O’Connor recognises the need to eradicate those slow starts. They very nearly got cut off completely in Sixmilebridge. “It’s not something we are encouraging! We warmed up in a different venue and we only arrived twenty minutes beforehand. I think it kind of threw out the lads. We started nervously and slowly. It’s something we will have to try and look at. We can’t afford to give teams a four or five point start. It’s not going to keep happening for us.”
Prolific captain Shane O’Rourke never allowed his standards dip and O’Connor also praised the perseverance of the players around him. “He has been very good all year that way. He has been a reliable score getter from placed balls and from play. He kept us in it in the first half. The boys around him worked hard too and maybe didn’t get scores but set up scores for him and won vital frees when we weren’t in the game.”
Centre back Conor Murray also intervened at the death. “He had a great second half and he made one crucial flick with about thirty seconds to go. The Feakle midfielder Shane McGrath was running through and he just flicked the ball off the hurley. It was an unbelievable tackle. Those are the small margins.”
Last week, O’Connor was ratified as Waterford senior hurling selector for 2015. His impressive body of work includes stints with Fourmilewater, WIT and Blackwater Community School. Cappoquin’s promotion gave him pause for thought before he made his mind up. Ultimately, it was an offer too good to refuse. “When Derek approached me, I was delighted to be asked to do it. I had a hard decision to make with Cappoquin going up senior and they are a really nice bunch of lads. I have enjoyed my time and it was a really hard decision to make. I just couldn’t turn it down either. A lot of the lads playing with Waterford I know from schools and from WIT last year. I’m really excited by it. I know there’s huge changes in it but it’s an exciting time for Waterford when you are bringing through young players onto a team and hopefully it will go well for them.”
His immediate focus remains fixed on the Munster final. Gary Kirby’s Bruff defeated Lixnaw by three points in the semi final and are regarded as red hot 2/9 favourites. “They have Paul Browne at midfield and Sean Finn who was a Limerick minor last year. He scored 1-3 from play the last day. They have two very good wing forwards also. They are a serious team and they are firm favourites for the match. We will have our homework done on them, worry about ourselves and see where that takes us.”
Last week, O’Connor was ratified as Waterford senior hurling selector for 2015. His impressive body of work includes stints with Fourmilewater, WIT and Blackwater Community School. Cappoquin’s promotion gave him pause for thought before he made his mind up. Ultimately, it was an offer too good to refuse. “When Derek approached me, I was delighted to be asked to do it. I had a hard decision to make with Cappoquin going up senior and they are a really nice bunch of lads. I have enjoyed my time and it was a really hard decision to make. I just couldn’t turn it down either. A lot of the lads playing with Waterford I know from schools and from WIT last year. I’m really excited by it. I know there’s huge changes in it but it’s an exciting time for Waterford when you are bringing through young players onto a team and hopefully it will go well for them.”
His immediate focus remains fixed on the Munster final. Gary Kirby’s Bruff defeated Lixnaw by three points in the semi final and are regarded as red hot 2/9 favourites. “They have Paul Browne at midfield and Sean Finn who was a Limerick minor last year. He scored 1-3 from play the last day. They have two very good wing forwards also. They are a serious team and they are firm favourites for the match. We will have our homework done on them, worry about ourselves and see where that takes us.”
