This article is from page 63 of the 2011-07-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 63 JPG
WHEN CLARE and Waterford match up for the fifth time in just over two years on Sunday, it is in the knowledge that Clare got a major helping hand from their opponents in getting to where they are today.
Following their crushing 3-09 to 0-12 defeat to the Deise in the semifinal two years ago, Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor dabbled with introspection before looking to their conquerors for assistance in forging a new look Clare minor set-up.
“We’ve huge admiration for Waterford”, admitted joint-manager Donal Moloney, “and two years ago when we decided that we needed to change our approach and change our tack in terms of how we actually did things, the first county we called was Waterford because the lesson they gave us two years ago in June in Cusack Park was the catalyst to say ‘things have got to change.’
“Waterford were the first county we engaged with because the level of preparation that they were doing all the way through their underage squads was way beyond anything any other county was doing and it’s still going on and they’re still moving it on.
“We still look back on the team of two years ago with a tinge of disappointment that we didn’t make more of that team and get to the final as a minimum. But since then we’ve brought in people who have had a huge influence in terms of how we prepare and that has been hugely, hugely important to sustain what we are trying to do. People like Jimmy Browne, Paul [Kinnerk], Diarmuid Horgan and another new addition this year, Joe McGinley. They have been hugely important because they have brought a lot of technical expertise.
“The game has moved on so much. We found out two years ago that we were way behind so with these guys, we have now got a level of knowledge with regards to how to train and how to prepare. Having those guys around this year was a huge help because all we had to do was lay out the same template, adjust a few things and away we go again. And the key lesson here for us is that having a player come in at 16 or 17, you can actually transform him in 17 or 18 months into an inter-county hurler if they have the basic skills and are willing to put in the work.”
Clare haven’t looked back since their quarter-final defeat to the same opposition in Walsh Park last year, usurping Waterford’s provincial throne by means of the backdoor route and there was an air of inevitability as the sides came through their respective semi-final clashes almost a fortnight ago to contest their second successive provincial decider. And for one, Moloney is bracing himself for another titantic struggle against undoubtedly their biggest rivals.
“We were down in Walsh Park last week watching them and the one feature that struck us about Waterford was that they brought on about six substitutes in the course of the game and everyone of them seemed to have an equivalent level of skill, an equivalent level of athleticism and the team never got weakened. It was actually strengthened if anything and I don’t know of many counties who can actually do that and that was the one thing that we really came home with.
“We are going to have a ferocious battle against them. They are going to be coming looking for revenge for last year; there is a bit of rivalry building up as well having met five times in two years and they are an extremely skilful outfit.
“They are also a lot better than Tipperary and people need to adjust and acknowledge that because that is the way hurling has gone in Munster. It’s Waterford and Clare who have been top of the pile for the last two or three years while Tipp and Cork have been following after that. So we know we are really facing a massive challenge against these guys but If we play to our potential, I think we’ll get there.”