Waterford manager Derek McGrath is delighted to reach another All-Ireland hurling semi-final, but doesn’t believe the three other sides remaining in the Championship will fear the Deise.
The beaten Munster semi-finalists will find out tomorrow morning (draw live on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland at 8.35am) whether they will face Cork for the second time this summer, or Galway for a place in the final after their four-point win over Wexford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Now in his fourth year in charge, McGrath is hoping to make further progress after successive All-Ireland semi-final defeats to Kilkenny, but believes they will need to show improvement next time out.
"We’re delighted to be in our third semi-final in a row. Our job was just to come here and get into a semi-final by hook or by crook," he told RTÉ Sport.
"We’re at the same stage as this time last year.
"The prospect now is to face into the Galway or Cork challenge with a certain optimism, but obviously I don’t think any of them will be in too much trepidation in facing us."
"Whether we are better remains to be seen, but what we are is a united group who represent our family and friends with gusto and pride."
Asked whether the 2017 crop is an improvement on last year’s team, the school teacher said only time will tell.
"I’m not really one for comparisons. The only proof is if you actually deliver a performance on a given day.
"Whether we are better remains to be seen, but what we are is a united group who represent our family and friends with gusto and pride."
The one blot in the copybook was the dismissal of the highly influential wing-back Tadhg de Burca who was given a straight red card by referee Fergal Horgan five minutes from the end following an off-the-ball incident.
"I didn’t see what happened," team-mate Austin Gleeson said post-match.
"He’s a massive player for us. He showed that the last day against Kilkenny, but we just have to try and go again."
McGrath said the incident will be dealt with by the authorities, but was at pains to stress the Clashmore-Kinsalebeg player has been a model of professionalism during his time in charge.
"All I will say is that Tadhg de Burca for the last three years has been a pure joy to work with in terms of his purest attitude to the game and how he hurls."
"The classic Arsene Wenger [quote] now, I haven’t seen it," he said when asked for his opinion on the dismissal.
"All I will say is that Tadhg de Burca for the last three years has been a pure joy to work with in terms of his purest attitude to the game and how he hurls.
"Any sense of association of anything that would be foul, a foul stroke or otherwise, I’d be hugely surprised.
"It remains to be seen. We’ll have a look at it and we’ll let that take it’s due course."
