The Waterford senior ladie’s football team will begin their TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship campaign this weekend when they welcome Cork to Fraher Field in Dungarvan.

After receiving a bye in the opening round of the competition, Waterford enter the contest looking to bounce back from their narrow one-point defeat to Kerry in the Munster Senior Championship final.

Manager Tomás Mac an tSaoir says the squad has responded positively to that setback, with training standards reaching a new level in recent weeks.

“We took a short break after the Munster final, and since then, training has been excellent. The intensity levels have gone up again, and the girls are just dying to get back out on the field,” he said.

Waterford face a Cork side that suffered defeat to Armagh in their opening championship game. However, Mac an tSaoir believes the final scoreline does not tell the full story.

While Armagh emerged comfortable winners on paper, the Waterford manager feels there was little between the teams for long periods of the game and expects a much-improved Cork performance this weekend.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be on full throttle on Saturday evening, so it’s up to us to get to that level as well,” he said.

Despite the disappointment of losing the Munster final, Mac an tSaoir insists there is no sense of gloom within the Waterford camp.

The manager believes his side remains on the right track and says the focus is on maintaining the high standards shown in training and translating that onto the pitch.

“The players know the levels that are expected of them. Hard work is always the number one priority. The last ten days have been brilliant, and all they have to do now is train the way they want to play.”

Waterford will be hoping home advantage can help them make a winning start to their All-Ireland campaign when they take on Cork in Fraher Field on Saturday evening.

Fixture: Waterford vs Cork
Competition: TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship group stage Round 2
Throw-in: 7:30 pm Saturday, 12th of June
Venue: Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field, Dungarvan

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