Waterford captain Lorraine Bray says the Déise are fully focused on their All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship quarter-final against Kilkenny despite suffering defeat to Cork in their final group game.
The sides meet in Croke Park on Saturday at 1 pm as part of a double-header alongside the men’s All-Ireland hurling semi-finals, with a place in the last four of the Glen Dimplex Championship up for grabs.
Speaking to WLR ahead of the clash, Bray admitted it has been a quick turnaround for the squad following their loss to Cork but said the nature of the championship means there is little time to dwell on results.
“It has been a quick turnaround throughout the whole championship. You don’t really have much time to dwell, and when you get back into training after each game, you’re just focusing on the next game again,” she said.
While Waterford were guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals regardless of results elsewhere, Bray insisted the team never viewed qualification as a safety net and were targeting a direct route to the semi-finals.
“We were driving on to try and be in a semi-final. You want to take the direct route if you can, and that was all that was in our heads.”
The Waterford skipper believes the county is beginning to reap the rewards of years of development work at underage level, pointing to recent success in the minor grades and continued growth in participation across the county.
“There has been massive growth in camogie around Waterford, and it’s brilliant to have that coming through. It’s probably something we’ve lacked in previous years, but thankfully we’re seeing that growth now.”
Bray expects a stern test from Kilkenny, acknowledging the challenge that comes whenever the Cats stand in opposition.
“Any time you mention Kilkenny, you nearly have that fear because you know the fight and the calibre of players they have there. Once you come to the quarter-final stage every team left is a massive challenge.”
Despite defeats to Cork and Galway in the group stages, Bray believes Waterford are not far away from competing with the very best teams in the country and says the focus this week has been on turning narrow defeats into victories.
“We can see how close we are and how close we were to Cork and Galway. The potential is there, but it’s about getting over the line and finding those small margins.”
The prospect of playing in Croke Park is another source of motivation for the squad, particularly for some of the younger members of the panel who will experience championship action at headquarters for the first time.
“Everyone wants to play in Croke Park. It’s something you dream of when you’re younger, and it’s an unbelievable experience to get the opportunity.”
The Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship quarter-final between Waterford and Kilkenny throws in at 1 pm on Saturday in Croke Park and will be shown live on RTÉ.
Fixture: Waterford vs Kilkenny
Competition: Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Quarter-final Championship
Throw-in: 1:00 pm
Venue: Croke Park
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