National Leagues Team news: This is the time of year when the superpowers of hurling traditionally begin some muscle-flexing. Waterford and Wexford named teams last night that both hope can disrupt the duopoly of Cork and Kilkenny.
Alas, the twin peaks of the game are expected to contest yet another final after what should at least be a competitive semi-final doubleheader in Thurles this Sunday.
Waterford manager Justin McCarthy has made one change in personnel and a couple of positional, from the one-point win over Tipperary last week. Eoin McGrath loses out to Shane Walsh while Stephen Molumphy, who has made the breakthrough during this league campaign, is switched to midfield alongside captain Michael Walsh.
The new partnership will need to prove effective immediately as they come into direct contact with the renewed pairing of Cork's Tom Kenny and Jerry O'Connor.
Otherwise it is a familiar Waterford line-up with Tony Browne alongside Ken McGrath and Aidan Kearney in an experienced half-back line. This is Browne's 16th season as a senior intercounty hurler.
The forwards will be expected to produce a similar return to that which they gave against Tipperary where Eoin Kelly (1-9), John Mullane, Dan Shanahan and Jack Kennedy combined for 1-17.
Since former Cork and Wexford hurler John Meyler first sent out a team for this year's league campaign Wexford have appeared like a county reborn. To such an extent that Meyler felt no need to alter the side that shocked Galway in the quarter-final. All six Wexford forwards got on the scoresheet last week.
They finished third in Division One A, three wins from five outings, but last week's performance gives them a chance to pit themselves against the All-Ireland champions.
Kilkenny manager Brian Cody is expected to bring Ballyhale Shamrocks midfielder, and the 2006 young player of the year, James "Cha" Fitzpatrick back into midfield but Henry Shefflin remains absent on his honeymoon.
Cody has called up the two Reids, TJ and Eoin, and Jackie Tyrrell has recovered from illness but Michael Rice (hamstring) and Eoin Larkin (fractured finger) are out. A team will be released tonight.
In football, Mayo have made four changes in personnel for Sunday's National League semi-final against Galway at Croke Park. James Kilcullen replaces Aidan Higgins in the full-back line, Peadar Gardiner resumes at left wing back at the expense of Gary Mullins, David Heaney will partner Pat Harte at midfield with James Nallen dropping down and Kevin O'Neill is an indirect replacement for Michael Conroy in attack.
Meanwhile, the Offaly football team to play Roscommon in Division Two A in Tullamore on Sunday shows four changes from the side beaten by Monaghan. James Keane and Paul McConway, both of whom line out against Laois in the Leinster under-21 championship final tomorrow, are replaced by Nigel Grennan and Aidan Keenaghan, while in attack Pascal Kellaghan and Jimmy Coughlan return to the side at the expense of PJ Ward and Thomas Coughlan.
Midfielder Brendan Quigley has been cleared to play for the Laois under-21s in Saturday's Leinster football final against Offaly following last night's meeting of the hearings committee at Croke Park.
Quigley's red card, which he received against Armagh in last month's National League encounter at Portlaoise; was last night quashed after the GAA failed to produce sufficient video evidence.
Meanwhile, the Competitions Control Committee of the GAA yesterday clarified the semi-final pairings for the Cadbury's under-21 All-Ireland football championship. Confusion had arisen after the publication of differing sets of fixtures.
The GAA confirmed that the semi-final pairings will see the Connacht champions Mayo face either Laois or Offaly, who play in the Leinster final this Saturday, while Munster champions Cork will play either Armagh or Monaghan who meet in this Saturday's Ulster decider.
WATERFORD (SH v Cork):C Hennessy; E Murphy, D Prendergast, J Murray; T Browne, K McGrath, A Kearney; M Walsh (capt), S Molumphy; E Kelly, S Prendergast, S Walsh; J Mullane, D Shanahan, J Kennedy.
WEXFORD (SH v Kilkenny):D Fitzhenry; M Travers, D Ruth, P Roche; W Doran, K Rossiter, C Kenny; K Kavanagh, D Lyng; M Jacob, E Quigley, S Nolan; P Carley, D Stamp, R Jacob.
MAYO (SF v Galway):D Clarke; K Higgins, J Kilcullen, L O'Malley; E Devenney, BJ Padden, P Gardiner; P Harte, D Heaney; A Dillon, A Moran, A Kilcoyne; C Mortimer, G Brady, K O'Neill.
OFFALY (SF v Roscommon):P Kelly; G Rafferty, J Quinn, N Grennan; A Keenaghan, S Sullivan, K Slattery; A McNamee, S Brady; N Coughlan, P Kellaghan, C McManus; T Deehan, N McNamee, J Coughlan.
