Noel Connors: Waterford clubs must up their game to catch Ballygunner

Three-time All-Star Noel Connors says that other clubs in Waterford and beyond have no choice but to up their game to try and loosen Ballygunner's grip on the club hurling landscape.

The Waterford champions beat a fine Na Piarsaigh side after a stout second-half display in the AIB Munster Club semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. Their economy, peripheral vision and creation of space looks to have reached a new level.

Unbeaten in 48 championship games in their own county, the bulk of their team have been playing senior hurling for over 10 years.

But whilst their success over the past year at county, provincial and national level has everyone talking, Connors feels they are merely reaping the rewards of all the work invested at underage over the past couple of decades.

"Have they reached a new level?

"Maybe they have, but they have always had a well organised team and they have always been very well structured.

"They are driven, they have a very professional approach but they have been so successful at underage level, they have put so much work and time and energy into their development that it has now just become second nature to them at senior level.

"It is no secret what has happened at the club and now they see the rewards. In the past five years they have probably won every grade in the county three or four times.

"It is merely down to hard work at that level and the results come from there."

Competition for places is as keen as ever. Billy O'Keeffe, wing-forward on the AIB Club Team of the Year, lost his spot for the county final over Mount Sion.

Harry Ruddle, whose cracking goal sealed a famous All-Ireland win over Ballyhale in February, played with the intermediate team during the summer.

But nobody at the club is