THE 2017 CHAMPIONSHIP journey will come to an end for Wexford or Waterford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, when the South-East rivals collide in the All-Ireland senior hurling quarter-final.
Waterford are buoyant after beating Kilkenny for the first time since 1959, while Wexford are aiming to bounce back from their Leinster final loss to Galway.
There’s plenty at stake on Leeside as good friends and renowned tactical gurus Davy Fitzgerald and Derek McGrath pit their wits against each other.
Here, we take a look at the main talking points ahead of the game…
The ‘Davy derby’
We’ve had the ‘Banty derby’ when Wexford played Monaghan in the football qualifiers, and the ‘Geezer derby’ is coming next weekend when Armagh face off against Kildare.
This weekend, it’s the ‘Davy derby’ in hurling as Davy Fitzgerald takes charge of a Wexford team coming up against his old charges Waterford.
Wherever Fitzgerald has gone, success has followed and it shouldn’t be forgotten that Waterford’s last Munster senior title was achieved under his watch in 2010.
With Clare, he presided over All-Ireland and National League wins and no matter what happens against Waterford, it’s been an excellent first season for Fitzgerald in charge of Wexford.
The Slaneysiders have exceeded expectations by claiming promotion from Division 1B of the Allianz League, before seeing off Kilkenny in a Leinster semi-final.
Now they find themselves back in an All-Ireland quarter-final, a repeat of last year’s clash at the same juncture against South-East rivals Waterford.
Waterford aim to prove that Kilkenny wasn’t a one-off
This is a pivotal clash for both counties – but Waterford in particular.
Fresh from seeing off Kilkenny in a senior hurling championship tie for the first time in 58 years, the challenge for Waterford now is to prove that wasn’t a one-off.
Beating the Cats will count for little if Waterford don’t build from that and launch a big assault on the All-Ireland title.
Coming a cropper against Wexford would represent a major setback, considering they beat the Model County comfortably in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final.
Wexford appear to be a much-improved and more cohesive outfit a year on, however, and the ten-point margin that existed on that occasion is highly likely to be narrowed.
But Waterford will start as deserved favourites and they have the artillery to take down Fitzgerald’s men.
Young guns Jamie Barron, Austin Gleeson and Tadhg de Búrca are complementing the more experienced players in the team, namely Noel Connors, Kevin Moran and Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh.
Sweeper v sweeper
This game promises to be a fascinating tactical battle.
It’s the first touchline meeting between Davy Fitzgerald and Derek McGrath since the sides met in last year’s Munster semi-final, when Waterford claimed a seven-point win.
Both managers have expressed public admiration for each other’s work but that mutual respect will be placed on hold for 70 plus minutes in Cork.
Wexford have deployed Shaun Murphy in the sweeper role pretty well this year, although there are aspects of his play to be worked on, as highlighted by our hurling analyst Tommy Dunne after the Leinster final against Galway.
Fitzgerald won’t deviate from the sweeper strategy and, similarly, McGrath will stick with what works best for Waterford, and that’s Tadhg de Búrca in the sweeper role.
Fitzgerald warned before last year’s drawn League final between Clare and Waterford that it wouldn’t be an open game, and it wasn’t, with the bulk of the drama reserved for extra-time.
The replay was a more entertaining spectacle, Clare winning it, but today’s renewal of touchline rivalries between Fitzgerald and McGrath might not make for particularly pretty viewing for the neutral.
Even free-scoring Galway failed to score a goal against Wexford in the Leinster final, while Kilkenny struggled to break through the Waterford sweeper system for long spells last time out.
Have Wexford reached a plateau?
The challenge for Wexford now is to bounce back from their Leinster final loss to Galway – but that’s easier said than done.
Having invested so much effort in that successful promotion push from Division 1B, before slaying Kilkenny in Leinster, perhaps Wexford have ticked their 2017 boxes?
Last September, after calling time on his five-year tenure with the Clare hurlers, Fitzgerald admitted that the Banner men may have peaked too soon in 2016.
Clare won a first top-flight League title since 1978 but lost to Waterford in Munster and were bounced out of the championship by Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
That’s the championship hurdle that Wexford must now vault to bring themselves, and Fitzgerald, one step further than last summer.
But while Fitzgerald found himself carrying pressure and under a severe local glare this time last year, he’s now in a much more comfortable position.
This is bonus territory for Fitzgerald and Wexford in 2017 – and it’s essentially a ‘free shot’ at Waterford.
Can Wexford learn Leinster final lessons?
Wexford were punished by Galway in the Leinster final for some sloppy play and missed chances, particularly in key spells before and after half-time.
Referring again to Tommy Dunne’s analysis of that game, it’s clear to see where Wexford fell down in that ‘black period.’
Fitzgerald is a meticulous analyst, however, and, privately, he believes that Wexford were far closer to Galway than many pundits and observers gave them credit for.
And that’s why he’ll be confident that his charges can learn those lessons and provide massive opposition for Waterford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
But Wexford will need Conor McDonald and Lee Chin performing to their Kilkenny levels again.
The key duo didn’t hit the high notes against Galway at Croke Park but if they can fire, Waterford will have their hands full.
Nowlan Park revisited for Wexford and Waterford fans
Wexford and Waterford’s most recent championship clash was in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final.
But they also locked horns in a memorable 2014 qualifier at Nowlan Park, in front of a crowd of almost 19,000.
Fans of both counties brought a huge atmosphere to the Kilkenny city venue, and Wexford were riding the crest of a wave after knocking then champions Clare out of the championship.
This weekend’s journey may be long for many but the novelty factor should attract a big crowd to the Leeside venue.
The derby element, and the ‘Davy factor’, are further draws, while a decent walk-up local crowd should make the short trip too.
Fans of Clare and Tipperary may decide to make a weekend of it and take in Sunday’s game also, and the weather forecast is positive.
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