All-Ireland SHC Semi-final: I see Kilkenny as favourites. They blew away potentially strong opposition in Galway and have had two hard games since then. Tomorrow, they're up against a Waterford team that are going to take them on physically and also have an attack that can cause real damage.

But now that Michael Kavanagh's regained his place I think you probably have the strongest Kilkenny back line of the last number of years. And I think they're going to need it the way Waterford have been hurling.

Ken McGrath has a new lease of life at centre back for Waterford and his 90-yard clearances are a big help in setting up attacks.

Eoin Kelly must be the top-scoring midfielder in the country this year. He's been picking off scores at random all through the Munster championship.

It will be a big, big battle between him and Derek Lyng, who's a more physical player than Kelly and gets through an awful lot of work helping out the back line and picking off the occasional point.

Still, Kelly will take an awful lot of watching.

There's been a lot of talk about two of the forwards: John Mullane and Henry Shefflin.

Mullane's suspension is going to leave a big hole in the Waterford attack. He was the most exciting forward in the championship last year and whereas he hadn't shown his best form this year the threat was always there.

The likelihood that Shefflin will play is great news for Kilkenny. He's the leader of the attack and the leader of the team.

When they were in trouble against Clare the first day he was the one who had to be watched, when they put two men on him, the danger. He started creating gaps. The second day his touch was just off a bit but the threat was still there.

He showed very early on the type of player he's become - not afraid to take on big names. Go back to the All-Ireland of 2002 and the first ball he got against Seánie McMahon. He says to himself: "This is what's going to happen, I'm in charge here."

Okay, he mishit the ball, but it ended up as a goal and the marker was laid down early on and that gave great encouragement to the team - to see someone taking on the best centre back of the past 40 or 50 years.

Shefflin showed no respect at all and just took him on.

If he plays on Ken McGrath at some stage, McGrath will have to tighten his game. Waterford could be in trouble because Shefflin likes to drift away from the play.

He's not the type of player who follows the ball, but Kilkenny will always find him and, if he's loose, he'll put the ball over the bar and will hurt teams.

He's the sort of player who can cause Ken McGrath difficulties. The clash between centre forward and centre back is always important, but particularly when you have such key players marking one another.

I don't agree with moving John Hoyne there because I think it would give McGrath an advantage. Shefflin is the sort of player who'll demand your full focus for 70 minutes and that's a job in itself. Hoyne's more of a physical player who can break ball and move it. Shefflin can do all that, but he can also take you for seven or eight points.

Kilkenny's defence has been very impressive in the last couple of games. Last week Tommy Walsh gave them a new dimension because they didn't really have attacking wing backs last year.

Not alone is he an outstanding defender, but he's also got an attacking mentality, which really strengthens Kilkenny going forward. That dimension will be important.

I think we're in for a cracking game. Waterford are a very attack-minded team coming in against a side that has really come into form, regrouped and focused themselves well after being shocked in Leinster.

Waterford will also be able for it physically. Look at how they played Clare in Munster. Clare are one of the most physical teams around and Waterford just blew them away.

They've knocked the "what Waterford team will turn up?" theory on its head and if they can play with the same flair and speed they showed against Clare and Cork, they'll be formidable. But they'll have to play at that level to have a chance.

Still, I expect Kilkenny will win. Waterford haven't played competitively for six weeks and that's a worry for Justin McCarthy.

Meanwhile Kilkenny's games have been against serious teams and close, tight and hard-hitting in recent weeks.

That's great preparation and it's given them their best 15 on the field.