Mostly Hurling:Brian Cody and his management team and players can enjoy next Sunday's hurling, writes John Allen. They are, as predicted, safely through to yet another All-Ireland final.Wexford can be pleased they put up a much better showing than in the Leinster final but Kilkenny were always going to be a bridge too far for them.

Henry Shefflin was back to his scoring best last Sunday. If there was a transfer market I'd be trying to buy Tommy Walsh. What tigerish aggression he brings to the team.

The Cats have the strongest squad in hurling at the moment. They have used 22 players in their last two games. Most of these players would be first choice on any county team - and no James Ryall last Sunday? What a great position to be in.

It's a great time of the year to be a player on the panel or the manager when all the hard work is done and every player wants to be on the team. Kilkenny have the players and the manager to win again. But that's for another day.

Waterford hurlers are again involved in the penultimate stage of this year's championship. Remember this is how far they got last year. The term banana skin is being bandied about in relation to next Sunday's game. Will they slip up on this occasion? What has changed this year?

Let's first look at the Déise's year to date; a league semi-final victory over Cork, which signalled intent; a league final victory over Kilkenny which signalled an ability to be consistent; a Munster semi-final victory over a weakened Cork side which really didn't signal anything; a victory in the final 10 minutes over a gallant Limerick in the Munster final which was expected; a rematch with Cork before which that same term "banana skin" was also being used.

There was a real fear in Waterford that the law of averages would be summoned into play by Cork. There was the history of clashes between these sides in which Cork had been successful in 42 out of 56 meetings with three draws. But the game had a finish that I think convinced even the most pessimistic Waterford supporter that this team could win under the most trying conditions.

Coming from four points down with time almost up, to not lose the game, could psychologically prove hugely important before the hurling year thunders to a close. Here is a team who can step up a gear and win games in the final minutes. Here is a team who can come from behind in the final minutes and here is a team who can hold on for victory in the final minutes. That can't be coached. It can be experienced though, and Waterford have experienced the respective endings.

So what has changed?

There's now a confidence in this Waterford team. There's an inbuilt belief that this team are winners.

There is also the fact the experienced core of the team are playing consistently well. The full-back line has improved quite a lot, with Eoin Murphy showing the form that garnered him an All Star award last year. Newcomers Aidan Kearney and Stephen Molumphy have become quality senior players in a short space of time and Eoin McGrath has become an invaluable impact sub, and then of course there's Dan Shanahan. What a year he's having, eight goals and eight points so far. He certainly has the Midas touch when it comes to goalscoring.

This is a physically strong, experienced, skilful Waterford team. They certainly deserve to play in an All-Ireland final. But first there's the matter of that banana skin.

Limerick have made huge progress in 12 months. Cast your mind back to their watershed game against Clare in last year's qualifiers. Later that month the quarter-final game with Cork in Thurles showed the Shannonsiders they weren't too far off being a team good enough to challenge the best. Now they are doing just that.

The fact they had four games in the Munster Championship (three in successive weeks) pressured them to play players that mightn't otherwise have got a chance. They have learned a lot this year. The management have been forced to act under extreme pressure in the games against Tipperary. They have had to learn to be tactically smart.

They can be very pleased with the players' wholehearted endeavour in all their games. They have had heroic performances by a variety of players. The backs in particular have been very solid. The full-back line is as good as any in the country. Séamus Hickey has been superb even though he was young enough to be playing Harty Cup last year. In the half-back line Brian Geary has improved with every game. Mark Foley has been heroic at times. Mike O'Brien and Donal O'Grady seem to complement each other well at midfield.

Ollie Moran was heading for an All Star award after the Tipperary games but his form has dipped a bit. Andrew Shaughnessy, a class forward, who hasn't yet really shown what he's capable of, was excellent against Clare, while Michael Fitzgerald has been their forward find of the year. He scored a goal and three points after being introduced at half time in the first Limerick/Tipp replay. He's added 10 more points to his record since then to become their top scorer from play.

So there's the banana skin.

Will Waterford slip up?

Justin McCarthy's men have the benefit of top quality games in successive weeks. Limerick have had one mediocre game since the Munster final. Waterford have a better first 15 that Limerick. Limerick should be fresher than their opponents on Sunday. Limerick have made some very telling substitutions in most of their games. Waterford's subs bench is probably not as strong as Limerick's.

For me, the main difference between the teams is the Limerick forwards and midfield are not as good as Waterford's. Limerick don't have a Shanahan or a McGrath.

But Limerick won't fear Waterford. They are in the great position of not being under the pressure that Waterford are under. They will play with the same reckless abandon that they've shown in most of their games this year.

But I do expect the Waterford men to sidestep the proverbial banana skin and safely secure their place against Kilkenny in All-Ireland hurling final 2007.