Club hurling championship: Gavin Cummiskey finds the Ballygunner boss has been learning quickly in his brief time in office

This is John Fitzpatrick's first year in charge of Ballygunner, yet already he is fluent in the universal manager-speak. While co-operative, engaging even, he answers questions like a poker shark makes eye contact.

Fitzpatrick is the only Ballygunner man available this week. The players have gone underground. Last Tuesday night a media ban was introduced. The management claim full responsibility, as the club championship follows a route already chartered at intercounty level.

As Fergal Hartley put it when contacted yesterday, "We hope to be doing our talking in Monday's papers, not this week."

When pressed for an interview, Hartley revealed "a huge number of calls" have been coming in this week and they don't want to lose focus on the task in hand.

In some ways it smells of paranoia, but Fitzpatrick puts the decision in the context of attempting to control the hype.

"I have a role to protect the team as best I can. It's my first year, so I too am learning. We're learning together, you could say. That is what this is all about."

Ballygunner never planned to be hurling in December, never mind preparing for a Munster final against the mighty Newtownshandrum.

"Winning Waterford was the only motivation this year. Several high-profile names had retired, so we are in a transition period. The goal was to re-establish ourselves in the county. Honestly, I thought that would take longer than a year. I knew we were on the right road though."

After that it became a matter of flexing their muscles against other county champions, Garryspillane and Clarecastle, to see who had the biggest biceps.

Most of Waterford's hurling accomplishments in recent times have been achieved thanks to the unerring accuracy of Paul Flynn, allied to the domineering presence of Fergal Hartley in defence. But players like Shane O'Sullivan and Wayne Hutchinson have complemented their more established team-mates.

When broaching the subject of the main protagonists, Fitzpatrick points to the progress of the others. Ask about the rising talent and, while he praises O'Sullivan and Hutchinson, he refers back to the value of the panel. Replies continually return to team ethic.

"Shane O'Sullivan and Wayne Hutchinson have experience of being around the Waterford panel, but the reality is this is much more of a team effort, although the likes of Paul and Fergal do bring experience. Maybe the younger lads will benefit from all this and come through in the next year or two."

Ask about Sunday's opposition and he almost convinces you Ballygunner haven't a prayer against the Cork superpower. As Player of the Year Jerry O'Connor put it at the All Stars banquet, "We don't really have much else to do but hurl down our way."

So has a method been concocted to curtail the Ben and Jerry show?

"Not really. They are not a two-man team. Okay, Ben and Jerry O'Connor are the well-established pair for Cork, but how do you counteract a team that has talent from one to 15? Even their panel is strong."

Okay then. How do you beat such men?

"I don't know. But we will play our own game of hurling. It's all we can do.

"This is my first year. I was a selector a few years ago under Gordon Ryan but wasn't there when he guided the club to the Munster title (in 2001). That's what he did for Ballygunner. Not a bad contribution," he adds, before trailing off.

Can you guess what he's thinking?