DEREK MCGRATH WAS more than proud of his Waterford hurlers in yesterday’s Munster final against Tipperary.
The Déise may have lost by five points but they acquitted themselves well against the pre-match favourites and are in good fettle ahead of an All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin on 26 July.
McGrath graciously accepted that Tipp looked “a bit more fluid” than Waterford on the day, finding scores that bit easier to come by.
But he warned of the massive danger posed by Dublin in 13 days, revealing that the sides met in a recent challenge match.
“Look, we played Dublin a challenge match in Nowlan Park last Thursday week and they ran through us like we weren’t even there.
‘They’ll fancy playing us, coming on the back of a defeat. People may get an idea of where the overall balance is in terms of where the teams like now at this stage but we’re very positive heading into the All-Ireland series.
“We’ll learn a huge amount from the experience.”
McGrath admitted that Sunday’s provincial showpiece was “an extreme tactical battle.”
“In the first ten or 15 minutes Tipp looked a bit more fluid, I think they looked a bit more fluid than us all day.
“It was 7-3 at one stage but we got a real grip in the middle part of the first half and we looked like we were able to grind it out.
“Our much vaunted system was up and running, disappointed to go in a point up at half-time.
“No real qualms overall, I thought Tipp were slightly the better team than us.”
What will have pleased McGrath immensely was how his defence kept a clean sheet and worked hard to deny Tipp’s potentially lethal attackers goalscoring opportunities.
But for Waterford, it was a first competitive defeat in League and championship fare this year.
“We have to learn to be gracious in defeat as well because I think our lads’ effort was total.
“When a team gives a total effort, albeit you’re not trying to establish glory in defeat, there’s a certain sense of, not satisfaction, but there’s no shame in the defeat.
“Look at the job that Barry Coughlan did on Seamie Callanan. I’d say if you said to me this morning that you would keep the offensive six of Tipperary, not quiet now but relatively more subdued than they have been, you would take that.
“I thought they were heroic. In any walk of life when anyone empties themselves in the name of a cause, whether they are a rebel or whatever they are, I think you can’t find fault in them.
“We are delighted with that. We will look at the video and at decisions made and maybe we showed inexperience.
“But we are proud and hopefully this day two weeks we can give people something to cheer about. If not, we will move on to the following year.”
