Munster SHC Final/Cork v Waterford: Waterford hurling manager Justin McCarthy tries to convince Pat Roche that the Munster champions have little or no chance of beating Cork.

Justin McCarthy won his first and only All-Ireland medal with his native Cork in 1966. That team - winners over Kilkenny by 3-9 to 1-10 - was captained by Gerald McCarthy, his predecessor as manager of the Waterford team.

It is safe to say that McCarthy wouldn't swap his cherished medal for gold dust, not even for victory over Cork on Sunday that would give Waterford back-to-back Munster titles.

This week he has been busy putting the final touches to his squad's preparations for Sunday's big game in Thurles. McCarthy does not under-estimate the task: "We would have to play twice above ourselves and they would have to play poorly for us to win."

McCarthy may not intentionally be trying to lull Cork into some sort of false security ahead of Sunday's game, but some of his views may give that impression.

A realist at heart, he says: "Cork are in better form than us at the moment, it's as simple as that, but, having said that, you have no guarantees in big games.

"Big games are once off, every game is different. You're playing a Munster final in Thurles, a huge occasion. You know the capabilities of your team, but that depends on the opposition too. We are up against a team that has a huge tradition and a big game against Clare behind them.

"Our team is on a learning curb. We are trying to regain some of the form of last year, basically trying to open up the game if we can."

Reflecting on the team's campaign so far McCarthy says, "We are coming from a bad league campaign, then into the championship against Kerry. We were supposed to win that match and we did. The Limerick match was always going to be tricky.

"Waterford have always found Limerick hard to beat. The first day it was a great game of hurling, the second day it was close and there was less open hurling in it.

"The main thing was we got a result, although we didn't play as well as I would have liked.

"Now we face Cork who are perhaps the most famous of all Munster final teams. They have come from their own internal situation last year and come to this match with all guns firing.

"Really and truly, it's going to be a hard game from our point of view. All we can hope for is to up our performance on the last day and stay with Cork for as long as we can and, who knows, if we get a break of the ball we could snatch it, but it's going to be hard.

"I would have liked to see our team play with more fluency and be more efficient against Limerick. We have worked on the skills, this is something you develop over the years.

"We have put a lot of work in during training aimed at trying to play with more fluency if we can.

"Cork basically are a great traditional Munster final team that plays first-class hurling, they have great belief in themselves and can express themselves as they showed against Clare.

Who are the key Cork players?

"Key players?" retorts McCarthy. "There're no bad players in the Cork team.

"They have a good set of backs and a solid midfield, as they showed the last day against Clare.

"It will be a huge occasion. A very lively game with two teams wanting to win it, but, at the end of the day, you have a traditional team like Cork in a Munster final who are coming in from a very big game in great form and us struggling with our form trying to regain it."

Did he discover anything new about the team in training or in matches.

"I discovered a lot of things but I'm not going to tell everybody about them," he smiles.

Waterford full-forward Andy Moloney reflects the thoughts of his team-mates by saying: "This game means everything to us. We have been criticised over our league performance and we are all out to prove ourselves."

Moloney says Cork's assets are their speed and skills: "We also have plenty of speed and skills to match in our side."

But Moloney agrees with his manager: "We will have to play well above ourselves to win."

Derry (SFC v Dublin) M Conlon, k McGuckan, N McCusker, S M Lockhart, G Doherty, P McFlynn, D Crosier, A Tohill, F Doherty, M Harney, D Doogan, J McBride, P Bradley, G McGonigle, E Muldoon.