Déise gearing up with Croker visit

AS the Waterford hurlers continue their preparations for the August 11 All-Ireland semi-final against the winners of Sunday's Clare/Galway qualifier, they will experience the new Croke Park surface for the first time when they train there tomorrow.

Arrangements have been finalised with headquarters to have a full training session on the newly-laid pitch and it is expected the entire panel of players will make the journey to Croke Park.

With their semi-final opponents having the benefit of playing there next Sunday, Waterford were more than anxious to get a feel of the surface in advance of next month's semi-final.

The Croke Park authorities have been co-operative and so the Déise hurlers will travel to Dublin tomorrow for a demanding workout.

Meanwhile, preparations for what will only be Waterford's second All-Ireland hurling semi-final in 39 years they agonisingly lost to Kilkenny by a point in 1998 are going very much to plan.

Team captain Fergal Hartley has been slightly hampered by a knock he picked up in a tournament game against Antrim ten days ago, but there is no concern about his welfare or his availability to lead the side into battle in the semi-final on Sunday fortnight.

"Fergal has just been cautious during the past week, but there is no question of him being anything less than 100% right on the big day," Waterford chairman Paddy Joe Ryan said.

Tentative plans to play one final challenge game in advance of the semi-final, against Kilkenny next weekend have had to be scrapped. Many of the Kilkenny panel will be involved in domestic championship action on Saturday and Sunday and Waterford manager Justin McCarthy has considered it too risky to play a game any later than that because of the obvious danger of picking up injuries.

"Training is going exceptionally well in any case, and we expect everyone to be at the peak of fitness on semi-final day," Ryan said.

The county senior hurling championship has also been halted until after August 11, but a number of games in the senior football championship not involving members of the hurling panel will be staged next weekend.