DEREK MCGRATH DOES not conceal his emotions when issuing post-match statements.
The pain was visibly etched on his face last night in Thurles. His Waterford team had come desperately close to claiming a famous scalp but ultimately defeat to Kilkenny was a familiar outcome.
Their season ends at the same hurdle as 2015 yet McGrath saw little solace to be gained from the fact that they have pushed Kilkenny far closer in 2016.
“The overriding emotion is one of absolute pride but devastation because these chances don’t come along too often. I hate to be as grim but that’s my honest opinion.
“It’s as far away as it ever was, in my opinion. Brian Cody came into our dressing-room last year, and he wasn’t one bit patronising, he just spoke about how hard it is to get back to a semi-final.
“I think that’s why Kilkenny are as sharp as they are every year. They treat every opponent with absolute respect. And that’s the reason they’re so competitive and motivated every year.
“Look if we can get one thing (right), copy how Kilkenny have been in victory and defeat over the years, we’ll have a chance.
“But other than that, we’re just devastated. We’re completely out on our feet as management and players and board as one. Devastated.
“What do you say to guys who give it everything they have? Who empty themselves? Mistakes are going to be made. I think it was just a case of two teams going at it with everything on the line and unfortunately, we came out the wrong side of it.
“The superhuman effort of both sets of players, it was sporting. Everything you want to be involved in.”
Waterford’s lack of goals recently had been a stick to beat them with as they had only netted once in their four championship games previous to last night.
Inside the first 20 minutes of this All-Ireland semi-final replay, they had received the boost of two strikes with Austin Gleeson and Jake Dillon both netting.
“There was so much enthusiasm,” reflected McGrath.
“We wanted to do the right thing and get involved in the play but I think that’s more experience than anything else.
“We thought if we could get a goal it would be worth five points or six points to us. But the balance between being condensed in defence and being attacking wasn’t right at times in the first-half.
“And I thought we looked more open than normal. That’s the normality when you’re chasing the game. But it’s not good enough for us to come out the wrong side of it. And that’s the nature of it.
“We’re not short of much I think. We’re not short of resolve and determination and we’re not short of representing who we know we’re representing, Waterford people all over the world.
“The general consensus this year was that our game needed to evolve. My argument is that ever game this year, despite what people say, we actually played completely different in a lot of games, down to the Tipperary pummelling. We actually went conventional for the first 12 minutes of that game.
“Even last week when people were talking about we went man to man, they obviously didn’t see Tadgh playing as deep as he was for 37 minutes of the 70 last week. When I hear man to man or 15 on 15, I wonder then in the same article do people actually talk about Richie Hogan getting 0-5.
“If it was man to man, Tadhg would be on Richie Hogan. I see a certain contradiction there. It’s about every one working as one, wherever there are numbers.”
The spotlight now shifts in Waterford hurling circles to the fortunes of the county U21 side. They face Antrim in the Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling semi-final next Saturday.
McGrath acknowledges the youthful talent that exists in their ranks but still preaches caution.
“The Waterford U21′s. that’ll probably increase the pressure, not on ourselves, but the expectancy within Waterford and things have to be managed extremely well in terms of the expectancy levels and the grounded nature of our lads
“I warn people that Limerick won the U21 last year, Limerick won a few U21′s in a row before that. It’s not as simple.
“I’d say it’s chalk and cheese in terms of its intensity, in terms of people who can make a breakthrough. We’ve 12 lads from the panel involved with the U21, bar Darragh Lyons, Conor Prunty or Billy Nolan perhaps next year.
“The fellas are already involved with us. I’d guard against people getting carried away. It is welcome that they get games straight away though.”
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