Shane Stapleton and Michael Verney look ahead to Wexford and their chances under Davy Fitzgerald. Get 15% off OrgaRetro.com jerseys with promo code ‘OurGame’.
Wexford have had more than a year to agonise over their All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tipperary.
The Premier had been reduced to 14 men after the dismissal of John McGrath, allowing the Model County to propel themselves into a five-point lead.
Given the confidence they had gained from their Leinster final victory over Kilkenny, Davy Fitzgerald’s men looked primed to return to a first All-Ireland final since 1996.
It wasn’t to be. Tipperary came roaring back into the game, winning an epic encounter at Croke Park.
As Lee Chin explained to OurGame in November 2019, Wexford hope to put things right in 2020.
“When you’re winning your provincial title you should be contending I suppose for setting your sights on maybe winning the big one. It’s still not an easy task as you can see.
“We won Leinster [in 2019], Limerick won Munster and neither of us were in the All-Ireland final.
“That’s how competitive hurling has gone but look, every year most teams will set out their stalls of doing well in the league, possibly trying to win the league and then trying to win the provincials and the All-Ireland.
“It’s very hard to do all three. We only nailed one of them this year.”
Manager: Davy Fitzgerarld (4th year)
2019 Summary: Reached league quarter-final; Won first Leinster championship since 2004, beaten by Tipp in All-Ireland semi-final.
Championship Odds: Leinster (10/3), A-I (9/1)
Last Leinster Championship title: 2019 (21)
Last All-Ireland title: 1996 (6)
All Stars: Diarmuid O’Keefe, Lee Chin
2020 thus far: Won four of their five league games. Beat Laois, Kilkenny, Dublin and Carlow. Lost to Clare.
First game: Leinster semi-final v Galway
