Waterford to win for first time since 2009 in under 21 grade

Few can dispute that Waterford and Cork can get the best out of each other in the last twenty years or so.

The two counties have met at different grades in this time and most of the time very little has separated the sides.

The last two clashes between the two counties have gone in the way of Waterford, as the Déise County first won the league final against Cork in early May at Thurles, and just a few weeks later when the two counties met in the semi finals of the Munster Senior Championship, Waterford again emerged as winners, this time by a smaller margin than in the league final, but a win is a win and when it comes against one of your deadliest rivals it does not matter if the winning margin is one point or twenty-one points.

The two sides are set to meet again. This time in the under 21 grade on Wednesday evening at Pairc Ui Rinn and it is expected that the clash will be a fiercely fought as the last two senior clashes were or many of the battles between the two were in recent years.

When the sides clashed last year at Walsh Park, The Rebels pulled off a 3-18 to 0-16 win over Waterford, despite many fancying the home side to advance to the next phase of the competition.

This time around, Waterford are again the fancied side to advance to the next round of the competition, but playing on their own soil this year, Cork will take plenty of hope from last years win and will be doing all they can to lower the colours of the Déise County.

Although Waterford will go into the game as favourites, all involved in the team will know that when you play against Cork nothing is won easily and more over so when they play on their own sod.

While Waterford have down the years recorded a number of excellent wins over Cork, few have come when it comes to underage hurling on Cork’s own soil. In fact, there is just one occasion when Waterford beat Cork when playing away from home, that was just two years ago when the counties minors beat Cork after extra time at Pairc Ui Rinn.

About 8 or 9 players selected by Derek Lyons and his selectors on Wednesday evening were involved in that win, and although favourites for this game, with Waterford’s overall poor history of playing underage hurling against Cork in Cork, that result two years ago will give the side plenty of confidence going into this game.

Cork’s underage hurling record in recent years is far from as good as they would like it to be.

In the minor championship since 2009 their best finish is a semi final loss, loosing at the penultimate round of games four times in that time and on two occasions after the round robin play offs. At under 21 level, Cork’s record is not much better, not having won the competition at provincial level since 2007.

Waterford in contrast have had enjoyed a great few years when it comes to underage hurling.

De La Salle College, Colaiste na Déise/Dungarvan Colleges and Dungarvan CBS have had a good few years when it comes to competitions like the Dr. Harty Cup, Dr. Croke Cup and the Munster and All-Ireland ‘B’ Colleges Championships.

At Minor level, Waterford were Munster Champions in 2009 and the final was reached in 2011, 2013 and 2014 with many of the players involved in these successes now key players in the Senior Inter County set up.

However these successes are not transferring to the Under 21 scene where Waterford’s last championship win came in 2009 when they beat Tipperary in the Munster Semi Final.

Waterford on paper look to be able to be fielding the stronger of the two sides for Wednesday evening’s game.

From last years win in Walsh Park, Cork are only able to call upon goalkeeper Patrick Collins, who is back up to Anthony Nash with the seniors this year, Rickard Cahalane and Anthony Spillane for this game, but they also have Killian O’Connor, Mark O’Connor and Alan Dennehy who step up from the last years subs bench.

From the same game Tadhg Bourke, Michéal Harney, Colin Dunford, Austin Gleeson and Ryan Donnelly who all started last year are all set to start again this year. Seanie Barry who started between the posts last year is expected to be on the bench this year, while Tom Devine and Stephen Bennett who came on twelve months ago are set to start this year, the latter one of thee brothers named to start for Waterford.

Of the Waterford team named to start its worthwhile noting that Anthony Gleeson, Tadhg Bourke, Colin Dunford, Stephen Bennett, Shane Bennett, Tom Devine and Patrick Curran all played a roll in the Senior Championship win recently for Waterford while none of the Cork players used that day are starting on Wednesday evening.

With plenty of talent on show on both sides, this game has all the ingredients to be another classic between Waterford and Cork.

Waterford with the greater experience of playing inter county senior hurling will go into the game as favourites, but favourites don’t always win, even in a two horse race. Cork on their own sod when it comes to underage hurling are always difficult to beat and I expect this Cork side to be hard to beat on Wednesday evening.

However, Waterford’s experience has to count for something. Its Waterford for me that will be advancing to next months Munster Semi Final against Clare in Ennis, but it could well be close.

Waterford under 21 Hurling team to play Cork –

1 Billy Nolan (Roanmore)
2 Shane McNulty (De La Salle)
3 Kieran Bennett (Ballysaggart)
4 Conor Gleeson (Fourmilewater)
5 Michéal Harney (Bunmahon)
6 Tadhg De Búrca (Clashmore/Kinsalebeg)
7 Shane Bennett (Ballysaggart)
8 Austin Gleeson (Mount Sion)
9 Tom Devine (Modeligo)
10 Colin Dunford (Colligan)
11 Stephen Bennett (Ballysaggart)
12 D.J. Foran (Portlaw)
13 Ryan Donnelly (Dungarvan)
14 Cormac Curran (Brickeys)
15 Patrick Curran (Dungarvan)

Cork under 21 Hurling team to play Waterford –

1. Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig)
2. Darren Browne (Kanturk)
3. Alan Dennehy (Charleville)
4. Sean O’Donoghue (Inniscarra)
5. Dave Noonan (Glen Rovers)
6. Conor Twomey (Newtownshandrum) (c)
7. Niall Cashman (Blackrock)
8. Rickard Cahalane (Ballymartle)
9. Martin Brennan (Fermoy)
10. Kevin O’Neill (Watergrasshill)
11. Killian O’Connor (Mallow)
12. Darren Casey (Charleville)
13. Mark O’Connor (Douglas)
14. Anthony Spillane (Castlelyons)
15. Luke Meade (Newcestown)