THE Wexford selectors were happy to give a vote of confidence to the team that started against Offaly in the Leinster final by naming the same 15 to take on Galway in Sunday's All Ireland senior hurling semi final at Croke Park.

This means that they will again have their potentially most effective player, George O'Connor, on the bench at the start.

There was, however, a scare in the camp as a result of a calf muscle injury picked up by John O'Connor in training last Sunday. O'Connor was officially passed fit at training last night and selected at left corner back, but some who are close to the team say he may not start.

The Galway selectors will finalise their team tonight. There is some doubt as to the availability of Nigel Shaughnessy, who is still recovering from a thigh injury that kept him out of the All Ireland quarter final against New York. Conor O'Donovan manned the centre back position in that game.

Meanwhile Antrim boss Dominic McKinley has named the same side, with a couple of positional adjustments, as that which beat Down by five points in the Ulster final, for Sunday's All Ireland hurling semi final against Limerick at Croke Park.

Terence "Sambo" McNaughton is officially sited at centre half back this time, and Gary O'Kane, who hit two points against Down, will be seen wearing the number 11 shirt. McNaughton's clash with Gary Kirby could prove interesting.

In the Ulster final McNaughton wore the number 11 jersey add Gary O'Kane the number six, although they swapped positions at the start. Gregory O'Kane will play on the left wing of attack, with Sean Paul McKillop moving to full forward.

Antrim's form is very difficult to analyse because of the low key mood in this year's Ulster final, which was played in the midst of protests and turmoil at the height of the marching season in Northern Ireland.

Team manager Dominic McKinley said that the unrest at the time had a devastating effect on the preparation of his team. "We did not train during the week in the run up to the final," he said. The atmosphere at Casement Park that day was hardly typical of the kind that Antrim and Down normally generate.

Ant rim's retention of the trophy was greeted by almost similar indifference. McKinley has been training the team hard since but feels that there would have to be a 60 per cent improvement on the Ulster final performance if Limerick is to be given a decent match.