One of these days somebody must write a GAA history of great half-time speeches. Every county and club will likely have their own chapter – assuming they worked, naturally – and for Ballygunner it might well be whatever was said at the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday.
It was unquestionably a telling speech, given not just what was at stake, but also what had come before.
The reigning Waterford, Munster and All-Ireland hurling club champions were trailing Na Piarsaigh by five points, 2-11 to 1-9, and up to that point the Limerick champions, playing at home, were bossing them around.
Although Ballygunner had dug themselves out of holes before, the sense among most of those watching was this hole might just prove a little too deep.
Cue that half-time speech, because Ballygunner came out an entirely different prospect, outscoring Na Piarsaigh 1-11 to 0-4 in the second half, winning by five points, and with that securing their place in a fifth successive Munster club hurling final on Saturday week. Clare champions Ballyea await.
Peter Hogan, who added a point of his own from right half forward, recalled a mostly serene mood, and all that was really said was stop trying too hard.
“It was just to kind of refocus and stick to the basics,” Hogan said. “We might have been trying a bit too hard in the first half, and overplaying some passes, and taking it through the centre but in the second half it flipped on its head.
“We got the advantage in those rucks and coming back the field and working it through the lines. It was just a refocus and a real focus on the basics.”
Refocus they did: things started to turn for real with a goal from Patrick Fitzgerald in the 38th minute goal, Pauric Mahony then drawing them level with a series of points (he finished with 0-13, seven from play). Once Ballygunner got in front there was no looking back.
Hogan also believes a faith and trust in their own system of play ultimately saw them through.
“Absolutely. We stick to our processes the whole time. That’s the mentality in the dressing room you know, I think we proved it last year in the All-Ireland final as well that we just stick to the plan and keep tipping away. We all believe in ourselves that eventually we’ll come out the other end.
“We knew at half-time we were in a strange position I suppose but we always believed in ourselves and we dug it out in the second half. Credit to Na Piarsaigh, they’re a brilliant team as well and they really put it up to us around the middle as well.”
Ballygunner manager Darragh O’Sullivan also spoke after the game on Sunday about that half-time calmness, although whatever else was said clearly worked: “Yeah, very calm and composed. We got together and said, ‘right, there are two or three things’. There was no panic and we said if we win this, it will be one of our greatest victories.”
Still there was that mind game of what had come before: for three successive meetings in the Munster club championships, in 2011, 2015 and 2017, Na Piarsaigh got the better of Ballygunner, before the Waterford city side turned the tables in the last meeting, the 2018 final.
Yielding to the Limerick champions on Sunday would have represented a step back; instead, it keeps all of Waterford hurling going forward.
“It’s engrained in this team, we want to win every day we go out. That’s our sole focus day by day, we focus game by game and we don’t look past anyone,” said Hogan.
“We fought for everything there and you have the likes of Pauric [Mahony] there and you know that he’s outside you to just pop the ball out to and he really stood up. When you have a fella like that beside you it’s easier to work the ball and try to get it to him.
“He’s an incredible player and he always stood up for us in Ballygunner and in Waterford and he’s just a special player. He’s an incredible hurler.”
Hogan also had praise for Fitzgerald: “He gave a man-of-the-match display against Kilruane two weeks ago [in the Munster quarter-final] as well, he’s a special player. Everyone knew him coming into the group this year was going to make it stronger and he’s certainly done that.”
But nothing is won yet: Ballygunner will start as favourites against Ballyea, who edged past St Finbarr’s in the other semi-final on Sunday, 1-12 to 0-14, to reach a first final since 2016.
Last year, Ballygunner beat Ballyea in the Munster quarter-final 3-20 to 2-6.
“They just didn’t perform last year, that’s what happened,” O’Sullivan said. “Yeah, we were good but that’s the reality of it. I’m sure they’re going to be looking for a performance this time and we have to be ready for that.”
* The Galway hurling final replay between Loughrea and five-in-a-row chasing neighbours St Thomas’ is fixed for Pearse Stadium this Sunday at 1pm.
