Ballygunner respect everybody, insists Shane O'Sullivan ahead of Ballyhale rematch

Ballygunner's Shane O'Sullivan says that the All-Ireland champions have "massive respect for everyone we play" as they prepare to do battle with Ballyhale Shamrocks again on Sunday.

Last February, the Waterford kingpins scored an injury-time goal to deny the Kilkenny side a first club hurling three-in-a-row.

In his victory speech 10 months ago, Gunners co-captain Barry Coughlan praised Ballyhale as "the best club team ever" but also added the seemingly innocuous observation that "we robbed it today, you know. I suppose ye have done that to other teams so I suppose it goes around, it comes around.

"But I mean that with most respect. You're on the road a long time and hopefully we'll see ye again next year if ye do get out again."

That didn't apparently didn't sit well with Shamrocks forward Colin Fennelly however, and he, speaking recently ahead of this weekend's rematch in the AIB All-Ireland senior club championship semi-final, mentioned that "Their speech at the end of the game, it's not something you want to hear."

"You want that little bit of respect but, look, we’ll keep our heads down, we’ll do what we can do over the next two weeks."

Speaking to RTÉ Sport today ahead, Ballygunner defender Shane O'Sullivan said: "People were mentioning it to me, I didn't read the comments. I'm not sure what Colin meant or what he said, but I do know what Barry said in the context of last year's speech.

"As part of that speech he was extremely complimentary to Ballyhale. I think he spoke about them as one of the greatest club teams of all time, but people tend to misconstrue or take elements out of.

"Somebody else told me it something [that was] was hard to listen to Colin was referencing. I don't know the quotes, but obviously if you're on