In the clammy surrounds of the Pairc Ui Chaoimh dressingroom, Gerald McCarthy takes his final bow. To an extent, the last year has been an encore and the decision to step down taken a year ago - recanted only after persuasion - is now irrevocable.

"I gave my commitment that I would do it for one more year last year," he says, "but I have family commitments that must be attended to. I've had five great years in Waterford, those lads have won my respect and have given it all as a team."

The vacancy in his home county is delicately raised. Would he like to see even more of these dressingrooms?

"I'm not going to comment on that. I've never been asked to get involved in that job. It's something the Cork county board will be dealing with. Certainly I would say after giving five quality years of my life to Waterford hurling, my family comes first and I'll be attending to that."

In that context, the match becomes almost an afterthought and it seems almost a different world to the one less than two hours ago when Waterford were steaming into a Munster final. Brilliant for 15 minutes, blitzed for 15 minutes and solid enough in between. It hasn't been enough.

"It's been one of our big problems, this great inconsistency that's in the team. We can hurl and out-hurl the best of teams for periods of a game and then sink to lows that you wouldn't believe it's the same team. It's a big, big bugbear."

His players stricken silent on the benches, McCarthy remembers the attractive prospect this match once was and the fresh air that its survivors would bring to next month's provincial final, a feeling that he and his team experienced three long years ago.

"I think it's great to have either Limerick or Waterford in the Munster final this year because teams like them need to make a breakthrough. It's a pity Waterford just can't do it again and I feel sorry for the players.

"I think Limerick are a very fine team. They have a great blend out there. Some of the older players proved once again that hurling's not a young man's game, it's not all about the fast player or the big strong player. I'm not sure what age Steve McDonagh is but he certainly showed that age is no barrier in a hurling match of this calibre."

The ageless McDonagh (31, actually) is buoyant next door. A match that threatened disaster in its early stages turned notch by notch into another famous victory for the county.

In the 12th minute he was rounded by Paul Flynn for Waterford's second goal. Things could only get better. And in McDonagh's case, better and better. What was he thinking as Waterford disappeared off into the horizon?

"I didn't think an awful lot," he says. "Tipp were 10 points up in '96 and you can think an awful lot but you have to keep plugging away. My honest thoughts were that 10 points might be too much to claw back."

Yet the team of five years ago was so full of experience and Munster medals. Nowadays, when McDonagh looks up the field, he doesn't see seasoned campaigners - more a creche. That youthful insouciance has burned brightly in both of the championship outings.

"The young players have a great belief," according to McDonagh. "A lot of people said they won a bad under-21 All-Ireland but they won it. There's a few of us have been around for a while, Ciaran Carey, myself, TJ Ryan and Mark Foley. We give a bit of advice here and there. It's great to be involved."

He ascribed the poor start to the pressures of expectation, so blissfully absent against Cork. "We were nervous. We'd come down to Cork and won against all the odds the last day. This time we were nervous, that's all there was."

And his own display? Did it go well? "My man got a goal early on and I tried to knuckle down as best I could. Did my best.

That's all I can say. Let ye guys decide."

Yes. We think it went well.