"The future is now!", so said Waterford manager Derek McGrath after this, his first championship game at the helm, having witnessed several debutants perform superbly well in Semple Stadium yesterday.

Cork 1-21 Waterford 1-21

Cork and Waterford to renew rivalry as Munster championship gets underway tomorrow.

Waterford will go to the Disputes Resolution Authority next week in an effort to allow Shane O’Sullivan to line out against Cork in the Munster senior hurling championship.

The four-week ban on Waterford hurling training handed down by the county board was blown out of proportion according to Déise selector Willie Maher.

Waterford hurler Philip Mahony is the latest Déise hurler to join the county’s lengthy injury list having been ruled out for the season.

Waterford manager Derek McGrath has suffered a devastating triple injury blow with confirmation that Philip Mahony, Maurice Shanahan and Stephen Molumphy have all been ruled out of the Munster SHC quarter-final with Cork on May 25.

Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh has praised Waterford colleague Wayne Hutchinson for going public on his battle with depression.

Allianz Hurling Div 1A

Ballygunner 1-21 De La Salle 0-15 (AET)

Talented young Waterford forward Martin O'Neill will shortly undergo surgery on the cruciate knee ligament injury he suffered in last weekend's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final loss to Kilkenny.

It was tough for Waterford manager Michael Ryan and his players after this season-ending loss to walk the tunnel in the bowels of the Kinnane Stand and carry out his various media duties, his stomach churning.

Under-21 players Paudie Prendergast, Jamie Barron and Jake Dillon will make their senior Championship debuts for Waterford against Clare in Sunday's Munster SHC quarter-final at Semple Stadium (throw-in 4pm).

The Waterford team to start against Clare in this Sunday’s Munster SHC in Thurles shows 10 changes — several of those injury-enforced — from the side that started against the same opposition last year.

Waterford's hurlers have received a massive blow ahead of the Championship with defender Stephen Daniels ruled out for the entire campaign.

Clare 1-17 Waterford 2-15

Cork IT 4-15 Carlow IT 1-10

The Waterford hurlers face into the new season without their two first choice midfielders from last summer's Championship, Stephen Molumphy and Philip Mahony.

Technologies capable of raising IQ, improving hygiene in hospitals, halving hot water bills, and reducing horse-breeding costs were among the “big ideas” pitched to investors by Enterprise Ireland.

I left home at 11am yesterday morning, in heavy rain, heading for Cork and the thought hit me — what were the Munster Council thinking when they fixed this game for a place that is neither here nor there for either Thurles Sars or for De La Salle?

Of the two teams in tomorrow’s Munster club final the club most hurling people would be most aware of is Thurles Sarsfields.

Newmarket-On-Fergus 0-10 De La Salle 1-10

Cork manager JimmyBarry Murphy needs a simple plan against Waterford.

Tallow clubman Thomas Ryan has been named in the Waterford team to play Cork in the opening All-Ireland SHC quarter-final at Thurles on Sunday (throw-in 2pm).

A big thank-you again to Mark Fletcher, Ger, Francie and the Roscrea mafia who kept our appointment in Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

Never mind all the other action today and tomorrow, this is the real big game of the weekend and it has a real story behind it in Tony Browne.

Veteran defender Tony Browne is one of three changes made to the Waterford team for Sunday's Munster SHC final against defending champions Tipperary.

Waterford star John Mullane says the number of new players coming on stream with the county shows the “conveyor belt” that’s producing talent in the southeast.

Both Clare and Waterford deserve massive credit for the effort and commitment on display in Thurles on Sunday.

A superb Munster senior hurling championship semi-final in balmy Semple Stadium yesterday, with drama right at the death as Waterford’s championship debutant Stephen O’Keeffe saved a rifled 20m free from Clare custodian Patrick Kelly in the final act of the game to deny the Banner men a victory they had been favoured to achieve.

The greatest pity about this game in Semple Stadium yesterday — and I make no apology to anyone for hitting on this point again — is that there were only 12,000 there to see it.

It’s time logic began to enter the thinking of the GAA. We have two huge hurling games tomorrow but at venues 50 miles apart.

Strange one this.

Waterford manager Michael Ryan has included four Championship debutants in his team to play Clare in Sunday's Munster SHC semi-final in Thurles.

Tony Browne is not included in Waterford’s starting side for Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final clash with Clare.

Waterford 0-17 Dublin 0-13

IRISH scientists examining Ethe potential commercial use of gas plasma to eliminate superbug MRSA and other healthcare-associated infections have been given a major funding boost.

WATERFORD manager Davy Fitzgerald will strongly contest a proposed 12-week suspension handed down to him following last Saturday’s Allianz Division 1 game against Tipperary.

UL captain Kieran Joyce is well aware that he is sipping in the last chance saloon at he heads to Waterford for this afternoon’s Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final action.

THERE may be a tendency in the GAA to liberally bestow classic status on games, but the rush to throw garlands on this All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final is wholly justified.

De La Salle (Waterford) 0-9 Thurles Sarsfields (Tipp) 0-8

WHAT a difference two weeks makes. A couple of Sundays ago, in the semi-final, the Tipperary champions put their bodies on the line, gave everything possible to get the win over Kilmallock, in Kilmallock.

IT WAS one of those crisp evenings we’ve had all this week: clear skies, not a hint of moisture in the air and temperatures in the red zone.

THE most striking difference between Thurles Sars and De La Salle is the number of county titles won — Sars have 31 in Tipperary and are top of the class, De La Salle have only two in Waterford.