ON THE MAY Bank Holiday weekend, the Waterford hurling fraternity poured onto the Semple Stadium pitch in a rush to acclaim the newly-crowned league champions.
Teenagers Shane Bennett and Patrick Curran weren’t amongst the 26-man Deise panel that scaled the heights that day.
But when the focus switched from spring league to summer championship, the pair left their roles as bystanders.
Derek McGrath never lost track of their potential. Both started in the 2013 All-Ireland minor final win with Curran ransacking the Galway defence for 1-7 that day.
Last summer they were cornerstones for the Waterford minor side again. Between 13 July and 10 August, Waterford played four minor championship games.
They raised no silverware but Curran (0-25) and Bennett (1-8) sparkled in the scoring stakes, offering glimpses of their class.
The temptation can be to stagger the progression of minor stars to senior level. Take Waterford’s opponents next Sunday as Exhibit A.
In his long stint as Kilkenny supremo, Brian Cody has rarely elevated minors straight into his senior line-up with the exception of JJ Delaney and James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick.
As Waterford manager McGrath faced a similar quandary but he didn’t hesitate.
He was mindful of life off the field though with Bennett sitting his Leaving Cert in Blackwater Community School in Lismore in June and Curran embarking on his first year studies in UCC.
“If I take them specifically with Shane, we had brokered a deal, he’d get involved early in the year, play a couple of league games and then go back studying,” says McGrath.
“How much studying he did will remain to be seen, he’ll tell you he did a lot! We wanted him back then for the championship games.
“Patrick, we had again another deal, that he’d do his first year exams in UCC and then come in afterwards.
“We’d asked Patrick back in October, November of last year. Unfortunately he was concentrating on Freshers with UCC, Dungarvan and his first year exams.”
Held in reserve early in 2015, the pair have exploded in the championship arena.
They showcased their composure in striking vital points when sprung from the bench in June on their senior championship debuts. In Bennett’s case it was the day before he sat Maths and Irish Leaving Cert exams.
Munster semi-final v Cork
- Shane Bennett: substitute – 44th minute, scored 0-2.
- Patrick Curran: substitute – 67th minute, scored 0-1.
The provincial decider was a more difficult environment to operate in, reflective of the collective fortunes Waterford endured.
Munster final v Tipperary
- Shane Bennett: substitute – 43rd minute.
- Patrick Curran: substitute – 62nd minute, scored 0-1.
Bennett’s rapid development saw him nail down a starting berth last time out against Dublin where he disrupted the influence of Liam Rushe and whipped a thunderbolt to the net.
Curran may not have scored but still was part of the team move that yielded Maurice Shanahan’s second goal.
All-Ireland quarter-final v Dublin
- Shane Bennett: started, scored 1-0.
- Patrick Curran: substitute – 55th minute.
The case for inclusion had also been made on the U21 front.
Waterford may have been dejected by their Munster semi-final exit last month yet Curran and Bennett spearheaded efforts in their two outings in 2015.
In the thrashing of Cork in June, they hit a combined 1-16. Bennett finished his Leaving Cert exams at 5pm that day, was ferried the 60km to Páirc Uí Rinn by his mother, ate a bowl of fruit en route and ended up with the man-of-the-match award by 9pm.
Curran bagged 0-12 that night and struck another 1-7 in the July loss to Clare. The same night Bennett did his utmost to drag Waterford back into the match.
“I think (Shane) is a very talented fella,” says McGrath.
“If you really analyse the (league) games he played against Laois, he came on against Limerick and he played the full match against Offaly. He played very well for us in those games.
“We were mad to use him albeit he’s a young lad. He’d be the first to say how much he needs to work on the game, so he’s a good lad too.
“Patrick’s attitude along with Shane’s has been exemplary. Absolutely lovely lads.”
Bennett doesn’t turn 19 until 5 December while Curran’s 19th birthday was 2 March last.
They’re a pair for the future with huge capacity to improve. But this summer they’ve proved their ability to influence the present.
Twelve months on from losing an All-Ireland minor semi-final after extra-time to Kilkenny, they’re set for a senior tilt at the Cats.
