A TALL ORDER
Prunty and Deise underdogs ready to take on the green giants for biggest prize of all
IT’S no surprise that the prospect of dealing with Limerick’s physicality isn’t that big a deal to Conor Prunty.
Much has been made about the sheer size of the Limerick hurlers since their breakthrough year in 2018, how they have made a great success of allying their power and athleticism.
Standing at 6’4”, Prunty himself is a big man in a Waterford team with plenty of specimens. “Limerick certainly have a lot of big men around the field, yeah, but a lot of teams do at the moment,” said the corner-back. “You come across a lot of different types of teams and physicality is a word that gets thrown around. But I think all hurling teams are physical. You might brand them as the most physical, but you come across a team like Kilkenny who are physical as well.
“Dublin are physical. Tipperary are physical, Waterford are physical. You can say it about every team. I think it’s true, really.”
Nothing seems to faze the quietly-spoken final year mechanical engineering student in CIT. Prunty claims there’s nothing unusual in preparing for an All-ireland final at this time of the year.
He is revelling in the pre-christmas training and loving playing such high stakes Championship games at this time of year for Waterford after all the uncertainty earlier in the summer over whether hurling would return.
“The last few weeks have been – I know this sounds a bit stupid – a bit of normality for us because we’ve been doing what we’ve been doing for the past couple of years. Life hasn’t changed
that
“Last year was a tough place to be when you’re getting your first run-outs and on the wrong side of the scoreboard in a heavy way but last year’s behind us and we learned a lot from it.
“We’ve grown over the course of the year, worked hard and got results.
“As a team we’re happy to be in an All-ireland final and looking forward to getting a performance out of ourselves for 70 or 75 minutes. It’s exciting.
“Having no supporters there hasn’t made too much difference. Every team has been experiencing it so it’s been no advantage or disadvantage to anyone.
“You just have to focus on getting a performance out of your own team and your own group and get on with it.
“I think it (the Covid shutdown) would put a lot of perspective into a lot of fellas.
“People just came back and really wanted to enjoy playing and training because it was taken away for so long and you don’t know what else to do, really.
“People were just happy to enjoy it and get down to hard work.”
Whatever happens on Sunday, Prunty will have another final to focus on in February.
When the clubs returned after the shutdown, he enjoyed playing football for Ballinacourty, who will face defending champs Rathgormack in the Waterford county decider.
“Playing club football, the first two group games and then hurling, it’s a bit of a juggling act, he said.
“I picked up a small injury, no big deal really, I just got back on the wagon, worked hard to get myself back right for the hurling Championship.
“I missed the football semi against The Nire and we’re waiting now to play the football county final in February.
“I haven’t thought about it too much but I know that the lads are working away to be ready for it.”