Waterford players no longer in awe of traditional powers

Tony Browne was only 19 years old when he captained the Waterford team which beat Offaly in a replay of the All-Ireland under-21 final in 1992. It was Waterford's first victory at All-Ireland level since 1959.

Now, at the age of 24, he is something of a veteran of the senior side as he prepares for Sunday's National League final against Cork at Semple Stadium in Thurles. With a fine performance against Limerick in the semi-final under their belts, Waterford believe that their long wait for a national senior title is about to end.

Browne has played a significant part in Waterford's recent good form, which saw them win the South East League, beating Cork in the final in Walsh Park.

"That was a very important part in our preparation," Browne says. "It gave us a chance of putting in games against teams like Cork, Wexford and Kilkenny in a competitive manner during the winter. We also did a lot of physical work during the break, including work in the gym and that stood to us when the National League started."

He also attributes a major part of Waterford's surge to Gerald McCarthy, the former Cork player who manages the Waterford side.

"Gerald has developed a new style and approach in Waterford and has inspired us to believe in ourselves. That showed in the semi-final against Limerick. We were playing against a team which was unbeaten in the league and who had several players who were household names.

"It was really a big day for us. There was a huge crowd, bigger than many of us had ever experienced before and the atmosphere was really great. I think we responded well and took the game to Limerick early on.

"Unfortunately, we gave away two goals late in the game but the fact that we didn't panic and kept our heads showed that there is great spirit, confidence and teamwork in the side. We were able to lift our heads and steady ourselves and we were in control again at the end."

Browne is proud of the fact that there are no fewer than 10 of his fellow Mount Sion players in the squad while in the team itself he is joined by such as Ken McGrath, Brian Greene and Andy Kirwan. "But there is a great spirit generally in the side and people are prepared to work for each other. I believe that is what has brought us this far and there is enormous determination to win this one," he says.

He watched Cork and Clare in the first half of the second semi-final in Thurles. "They (Cork) played really well and brushed Clare aside really. They are very strong right through the middle. They were really impressive against Clare, so superior that it was really hard to believe."

He sees the strength of the Waterford attack as a big plus for them. "We have forwards for all positions who are capable of getting scores. Of course we are worried about giving away scores like we did against Limerick but we have worked on that and realise that we could not afford to repeat that against a team like Cork.

"We must keep our concentration for the entire match," he emphasises.

His enthusiasm and determination is shared by his team captain Stephen Frampton. Browne's admiration for Cork's performance against Clare is also shared by Frampton. "They made Clare look average and we know that they are much better than that. Everything about our match was exciting for us. It was very hot and it was played at championship pace before a huge crowd - well over 40,000," he says. Asked for an assessment of his team's strength he was cagey enough to go for the "all-round" option but had no hesitation in singling out Ger Cunningham and Brian Corcoran as the mainstays in the Cork team. He conceded, however, that Paul Flynn and Ken McGrath were the Waterford stars of recent matches. "We are by no means a one-man team or a two-man team; everybody works together.

"I'm afraid we took the foot off the pedal in the last 10 minutes against Limerick but we survived. I wouldn't like to give Cork two goals like that. You have to keep plugging away because a couple of scores can change the whole face the match.

"There's a great buzz in Waterford at the moment and there's going to be a big crowd. Waterford people are really hungry for success and I hope we can give it to them on Sunday," he says.