TADHG DE BURCA’S season is over after suffering an Achilles injury in the first half of Waterford’s Munster hurling championship defeat to Limerick, according to manager Davy Fitzgerald.
“I am absolutely gutted. I’d say he is gone for the rest of the season,” said Fitzgerald.
The 2015 Young Hurler of the Year suffered two serious knee injuries within 15 months of each other, the second coming in the Covid All-Ireland final of 2020 and went down without any member of the opposition near him after 20 minutes in Thurles.
“It looks like his achilles is gone and if I could tell you lads, Tadhg de Burca, last September, went on a rehab programme for four to five months,” revealed Fitzgerald.
“Last September, October, November, December and into January, if you see the work that he did to get himself right, I am absolutely just sick for him.
“If you saw the work he did to get himself right, I am absolutely sick for him because he’s an incredible young man, a complete team player, great hurler and he’s gone for the rest of the year. That’s a massive loss to us but in fairness to the lads they played their hearts out after he went off today.”
Waterford left Thurles wondering a whole host of ‘what-ifs’ after they had the chances to beat the All-Ireland champions and Fitzgerald cut a frustrated figure on the sideline at the final whistle.
“Someone said to me earlier, ‘we could have caught ‘em.’” he said.
“It wasn’t a matter of catching them. We had the chances. There is no doubt about that. We all know Limerick are a great team and I’d be the first to say that.
“They are top class, but it wasn’t catching, we had the opportunities to win that game, 110percent.
He continued, “You don’t get many opportunities over the last seven or eight years to beat Limerick.
“We had an opportunity. I felt the first 15 to 18 minutes of the game we were very nervy and if you look at probably two or three of the Limerick scores it came from us fumbling the ball because I think we were too uptight.
“We were a bit, just that small bit nervous, but once we settled into the game I thought we played really well and they didn’t get to throw the ball around the way they normally do.”
Waterford now have a week to prepare for Cork away, but look to be in a different place than last year.
“I think the lads will get confidence….I don’t think you have any idea how much on the floor my lads were after last year,” explained Fitzgerald.
“They were very down and hurt with the way the championship went last year and with the way people talked about ‘em.
“We don’t want any claps on the back today, because – I said it to them inside – there is no point in clapping us on the back for losing to Limerick by two points.
“We came here to win today and we didn’t win. Now, we are behind the eight ball because we have to play a fresh Cork team next week.”
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