GAELIC GAMES: Ian O'Riordantalks to Dublin captain Philip Brennan who feels the mood in the dressingroom has never been more positive or focused.

Despite the enduring air of optimism the Dublin hurlers head into another championship not really knowing if their National League campaign marked one step forward and two steps back - or vice versa. Wins over Galway and Limerick, and a draw with Kilkenny, represented undeniable progress and yet were promptly followed by the shock loss to Antrim and the heavy defeat to Tipperary.

There was also a cost involved as one of Dublin's most exciting forwards, Kevin O'Reilly, sustained a knee cruciate injury in the Tipperary game and is out for the season, while highly talented midfielder John McCaffrey is also sidelined for the foreseeable future with a chronic groin strain.

Manager Tommy Naughton still boasts the most promising Dublin hurling team in over a decade, and confidence remains high for Saturday's Leinster semi-final against Wexford. The problem for Dublin is that it's now 17 years since they last beat Wexford in the championship, 16 years since they last made the Leinster final, and maybe a year or so too soon for the emerging talents to reach their prime.

Yet they're determined to have a real crack at Wexford, as team captain Philip Brennan explains. The O'Tooles' defender is one of their elder members and also admits the mood of the team is unlike anything previously experienced. "The bond this team has is excellent," he says. "I've been on the panel five or six year now and we haven't had that kind of bond before. But all the young lads we have now, they're all confident players anyway, and have great ability. That shines through. And it's like playing with a club team.

"We got some great results at the start of the year, and that really did build up the confidence of the team. Unfortunately we didn't make the qualifiers of the league, but we still took a lot out of it. Like having so many of the younger players coming through, and showing they can go out there and match whatever they're put up against. But also the way we can now grind out results.

"We're not just staying with teams, and then falling off the last 10 minutes. We could stay the full 70 minutes, and that's our main aim going into this Wexford game. Our confidence is still up. And now we're going to try to progress as far as we can in the championship."

Dublin clearly haven't dwelt on the poor end to the league, which fell apart when Antrim upset them in Casement Park, followed four days later by the 4-15 to 1-9 loss to Tipperary (Dublin's third game in eight days). Fitness levels, says Brennan, were always aimed at peaking for the summer, and for that they have the expertise of athletics specialist John Coghlan - brother of national 110 metre hurdles record-holder Peter Coghlan - who has been working with the team in recent months.

"John has made a big difference. I mean our fitness levels are well up on last year. He's been building us up for the championship all along, and I think that will really stand to us now over the next few weeks.

"And Tommy Naughton has brought in a hugely professional attitude overall. The training has also been much more intense. It's all more or less hurling stuff. You can feel the mood changing since the league. All the focus has been on this Wexford game. We have high hopes, we really do, to take on Wexford.

"We have to believe we can compete with them. But we're certainly not looking past them. Wexford still have capability, have been in lots of Leinster finals over the past few years. But we can only focus on ourselves, and our own mindset, and we're going to try to take them."

The loss of O'Reilly and McCaffrey has forced Naughton to introduce a couple of newcomers for Saturday's game, with four Dublin players in total making their first championship start. Declan Qualter and Joey Boland take the midfield roles for the first time, while forwards Ross O'Carroll and Padraig O'Driscoll also get their first start - although O'Driscoll did appear as a substitute against Limerick and Clare in last year's qualifiers.

Derek O'Reilly is passed fit to start despite carrying a hamstring injury in recent weeks, and the experienced Stephen Hiney also returns to the line-up after missing last year because of eye surgery.

DUBLIN (SH v Wexford);G Maguire; P Brennan, S Hiney, T Brady; M Carton, R Fallon, D O'Reilly; D Qualter, J Boland; L Ryan, R O'Carroll, D Curtin; J Kelly, P O'Driscoll, K Flynn.