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Hurling

hurling

Davy Fitzgerald: 'I can't wait for the next two'

Davy Fitzgerald

Davy Fitzgerald

**​By John Harrington **

The defining characteristic of Clare and Waterford managers Davy Fitzgerald and Derek McGrath is their shared and absolute fanaticism for hurling.

They love the sport with every fibre of their being and have devoted the last few years of their lives to plotting and scheming how to make their county teams the best in the country. That’s why we should really not have been surprised with how they both reacted to Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League Final ending in a 0-22 apiece draw between their two teams.

The suggestion was thrown at them both that meeting twice in eight days before they then do battle in the Munster semi-final four weeks later was hardly ideal. But they both greeted it with the sort of dismissiveness that couldn’t be faked. They live their lives for high-octane hurling afternoon’s likes Sunday’s, so why on earth would they not want another one of them?

Fitzgerald was more colourful in his explanation as to why a replay next Sunday in Semple Stadium at 3.30 was the best thing that could ever happen him or his players. He appeared in the tunnel under the Kinnane Stand half an hour after the final whistle buzzing with so much positive energy that he was almost vibrating.

His team had been denied a win by a last-gasp Maurice Shanahan free, but Fitzgerald could have convinced you that equaliser was the best thing that could have happened.

“I can't wait for the next two, I just can't wait to go again, I'm really looking forward to it,” he said. “Great battles between two great teams and I really seriously can't wait for it. That's what hurling is all about. It was a man's game out there, toe to toe, and that's what it was today. We're delighted. Fair play to Waterford, they were the same thing, we had to stand up at the end of normal time and Conor McGrath put over a free that was absolutely incredible and I'm so proud of him and what he did. Everything was on the line for us and he did it.

“And fair play to Maurice Shanahan at the end, he did it when he had to do it. That shows you what hurlers are about and even from a hurling man, I just feel it was a savage game of men to men, toe to toe. That's the way I see it, maybe ye see it different, but that's how I saw it. 

“Honest to God, the two teams absolutely gave it 110 per cent, and you can't go into other referees or other bits or pieces. The most important thing was that both teams gave it everything. Us in Clare would have massive respect for Waterford and the way they handled themselves. They're absolutely a credit, as my lads were a credit. So fair play to both.”

Davy Fitzgerald

Davy Fitzgerald

McGrath was honest enough to admit that much of this tight, tense game had not exactly been an oil-painting in terms of pure aesthetics. But he still saw plenty of beauty in it, especially in the sheer will to win displayed by both teams.

“It was a bit cagey at the start, as predicted,” said McGrath, “but I thought both teams opened up and any semblance of the teams not wanting to win it went out the window. It was out the window beforehand, mind you.

“We're just happy to expose our team to that kind of pressure, that kind of game, that kind of environment. It's a brilliant opportunity for our players to face that again next weekend, that's very welcome. We've been very consistent in our approach to the league. This match was everything to us today, and the game next Sunday will be everything to us.

“We'll refocus on next Sunday, and we'll think about the fifth of June then. We're not thinking about that now, we're thinking of the replay, areas where we can improve. We're hoping we'd be able to improve, and we'll have to improve, but there's a great buzz in our dressing-room. I thought our effort was heroic - any time a fella gives it everything he has, there can be no fault, and it's the same in the Clare dressing-room, I'd imagine.”

If there had been any doubt about the desire of either camp to win this game, it was dispelled by the intensity witnessed outside the sidelines as much as it was by the helter-skelter action between them. Fitzgerald and McGrath and their respective backroom teams were highly animated throughout, but the Clare manager laughed off their clashes afterwards.

“Ah, isn't that great boy! That's what you want! Ye'd have nothing to write about if we didn't have that. You didn't say anything about me shaking hands with me afterwards, you know? It was all good. I'd be no good to ye if I wasn't like that and I'm sure he's the same, you know?

“These things happen, but do you know, we love our counties, we're there and we're trying our best and that's all we can do. We're passionate. People said you'd come out and try not win the National League. Do any of ye think that now? Ye see we both wanted to win it and it'll be the same next week, you know? I just think it's fantastic for hurling. Today was great. And more to come over the next five weeks. I just think it’s fantastic for hurling today; it was great and more to come over the next five weeks.”

The choking, claustrophobic intensity of the action did not make it a pretty contest to watch for the neutral for most of normal time. But the final ten minutes of normal time and all of extra-time was a thrill-a-minute ride.

“It got a bit more open towards the end there, I’m actually so proud of how my lads handled it today,” said Fitzgerald. “Waterford weren’t throwing around as many passes as they normally were. I think we did a fairly unbelievable job and the bookies might have it at evens the next day, that’s the way I see it. I think there’s nothing between the two teams and you did see it.

“What was the score in the first half? 7-6? That tells its own story. That’s probably one of the most tactical games I was involved in but we really enjoyed it, but we’d have enjoyed it more if we had been on the right end of it by a point. But I think it would have been unfair today on any side to lose that, and I mean that genuinely. I think they both deserved another crack at it.”

Derek McGrath

Derek McGrath

The tactical battle was fascinating, and it was notable that Waterford had more joy in the second-half when they started running at Clare. But McGrath, perhaps keen not to give too much away, wouldn’t go so far as to admit he had rejigged his strategy at half-time.

“I wouldn't say it was a change of tack, I am giving you as little as ever, if you like,” he said. “It wasn't a change of tack, it was more a decision taken at half-time of maybe not being around the breaks as much as we wanted. And there was an awful lot of congestion around midfield but for me, it is intriguing in itself to watch how that develops and how it played out.

“The criticism in terms of goals, we created some very good goal chances as well, Tom (Devine) had a very good goal chance and we opened up Clare at times which we were happy about. But we will go again and it will be interesting again and we are heading for a trilogy now.”

Fitzgerald insisted his camp were happy enough too that they have learned plenty from the experience. This was the first time he and his team have come up against Waterford’s ‘system’ since McGrath reinvented their style last year, and the Clare manager was happy enough with how they coped with it.

"Yeah we thought it might take us another few weeks for us to come to grips with it. I think we did okay. Normally Waterford throw the ball around with plenty of bodies and I thought they found it a bit harder today. Maybe coming towards the middle and the end of the second half they found it a bit easier because we were a bit more tired. But we learned, but I'm sure they learned at the same time.

"As we say, there's next week and then there are four weeks after that again. If the games are anything like today it will be great for ye but not so great for us with the ticker and that, you know? I haven't a clue what's going to happen because there were bodies all over the place. We changed the formation four times, I'm sure they did the same so it will be gas craic for the next day because I don't know what's going to happen.”