I NOEL ABOUT HIM
Connors has seen first hand how the Davy Fitz effect can lift a county to new heights
NO ONE has to tell Noel Connors about the Davy Fitz effect.
When Fitzgerald arrived in Waterford in 2008 to take on his first job as an intercounty manager, the Deise were looking for the spark to fulfil their clear potential. They reached the All-ireland final that year – losing heavily to Kilkenny – and, in 2010, won the Munster title. But the next year was the end of the road for Fitzgerald in Waterford, as his side conceded seven goals to Tipp in the provincial final – albeit they still reached the All-ireland semis for the fourth year in a row. Now, after almost five years with his native Clare, Fitzgerald is back in the south-east with Wexford and in less than a year he has transformed the Model County hurlers into a force to be feared again. Waterford will see at close quarters the work he has done, when the sides clash in Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Saturday. “They’ll go in as favourites and we’ll perhaps go in as underdogs,” said Deise ace Connors. “They’ve been just a force of nature this year as a result of Davy going in there. “They’ve been incredibly consistent from the first outing. “They’ve been very good in the League, the Leinster championship – the last couple of years at under-21 they’ve been phenomenal. “They beat us quite convincingly at Nowlan Park in 2014. That was a real, real humdinger of a game for us – and we came out the wrong end of a fairly heavy defeat.” A more recent marker was the meeting of the sides at this same All-ireland quarter-final stage 12 months ago, a game Waterford won by 10 points in Thurles. Connors, though, believes nothing can be read into that. “It’s a totally different Wexford team,” he said. “That’s just something that Davy brings. “When you think of Wexford hurling, you think of passion, energy, hard hitting physicality and just the love for Wexford. No better man to bring all the traits out than Davy. “His professional ability to bring teams forward is incredible.” Connors admits he owes a debt of gratitude to the Wexford boss. “He’s played a massive part in my inter county career, gave me my debut and I’ve always been incredibly grateful of that,” said the 27-year-old. “I get on really well with Davy. “We won Munster titles with him. I think we were in Croke Park every year he was involved with us – that’s the level he brings teams to. “We would have struggled for years before that to make Munster finals, to make quarter-finals, but Davy was inspiring, constantly looking for improvement. “He brought a lot through, the likes of Maurice (Shanahan), Pauric Mahony. “He was all about bringing youth, bringing energy to it.”