Galway U21s ready for Waterford challenge despite underdog tag

Waterford v Galway. Semple Stadium, today, 5.0. Live TG4

Galway manager Tony Ward believes his players are coming in "under the radar" ahead of this evening's Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling final against Waterford.

The young Tribesmen are 9/2 outsiders to spring a surprise against a Waterford team rated as one of the best ever to grace this grade.

Ward, who a year ago was preparing to lead the Galway camogie team into an All-Ireland senior decider, has acknowledged the size of the task facing his underdogs.

"We are coming in under the radar. Waterford, anybody all over the country, could list off their players, where I suppose Conor Whelan, Brian Molloy and you get stuck after that on our team, which is a good thing for our lads," Ward said

“Another good thing, we’ve had all the lads all year training. We had three guys involved with the seniors and we were able to build up a squad and a bit of comradeship amongst the lads. It made our task a little bit easier having so little on the senior panel.

“That was one reason why I went for it. With the camogie, you’re playing maybe 10 or 15 games a year between challenges and league and championship whereas in this, our preparation was for August 20th all along, just one game.”

First outing

On that date, Galway beat Dublin after extra-time in the All-Ireland semi-final, their very first outing in this year’s competition.

Ward believes that’s a situation that needs to be addressed, insisting that it’s time the county’s minors and U21s joined their intermediate and senior counterparts in the Leinster championship.

“I think once the seniors and intermediates are in there, the minors and U21s should be in there as well,” he said.

“A lot of these guys that are on the U21 panel went up and played an intermediate semi-final against Wexford, there would be nothing wrong with it.”

Ward acknowledged, however, that Galway’s semi-final victory over Dublin was ideal preparation for what now lies in store.

“The semi-final, if you planned it, it couldn’t have gone better,” he said. “You got 80 minutes of hurling, got to look at 21 guys and came out the right side of the result.”

WATERFORD: J Henley; W Hahessy, C Gleeson, D Lyons ; M Harney , A Gleeson, C Prunty; M O'Brien, C Roche; Shane Bennett, T Devine, DJ Foran; P Curran, Stephen Bennett , M Kearney.

GALWAY: C Touhy; C Jennings, D O'Donoghue, D Cronin; V Doyle, S Cooney, S Loftus; D Nevin, D Dolan; K McHugo, B Molloy, É Burke; T Monaghan , C Whelan, S Linnane.