Wexford-Cork clash likely
They cannot be paired against Kilkenny as both counties have already met in the Leinster final.
The other semi-final would feature Kilkenny and the winners of the Offaly/Tipperary clash.
However, if Antrim win, then a draw will be necessary to decide on the semi-final pairings.
The bad news for Wexford is that outstanding full-back Daragh Ryan is out for the Antrim game with a fractured finger.
Team manager John Conran said that it would take a miracle for Ryan to play and they can only hope that in the event of beating Antrim he will be fit to play in the semi-final.
There was mixed news for Waterford’s star forward John Mullane who was forced off in the second half on Saturday with an eye injury he sustained midway through the opening half.
Fears that he might have to undergo surgery were dispelled and damage to the eye is not serious.
However, he is ruled out of action for up to a month and will miss De La Salle’s opening game in the county championship.
In the aftermath of Waterford’s defeat, the inevitable speculation surrounded the future of the management team headed by Justin McCarthy.
McCarthy’s two-year term, with that of his fellow selectors Colm Bonnar and Seamie Hannon, ended with Saturday’s Nowlan Park defeat.
However, county secretary Séamus Grant insisted that the county board will not be rushed and stressed that their priority is getting on with the county senior hurling championship where a ball hasn’t been struck yet.
“We won’t be in competitive action again until the spring so there’s no immediate urgency about considering the position of manager or selectors,” Grant said. “In any case the worst thing that could happen now would be to engage in a knee-jerk reaction to the defeat.”
McCarthy hasn’t given any hint of his intentions, although he has said that he will be involved in hurling again next year.
Grant said that the post of county senior football manager, filled by another Corkman, Denis Walsh, for the past two years, has also become vacant. But like the hurling job, there will be no “rush to judgment,” he said.
To give members of the county panel an opportunity to recover from the rigours of the championship campaign the county board has decided against playing the first-round senior hurling games next weekend.
Instead, it is hoped to play all of the ties over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Meanwhile, the All-Ireland MHC quarter-final between Cork and Offaly, fixed for Thurles next Sunday has been brought forward to Saturday at the same venue. Throw-in is at 7pm. Cork will be without Brendan Ring who damaged shoulder ligaments in training, while there is also concern about the fitness of Maurice O’Sullivan, who continues to be troubled with an ankle injury.
On a more positive note, James Bowles (Newtownshandrum) who has missed most of the season because of injury, is in contention for a place on the starting 15.
The team is likely to show a number of changes from the side which failed to Tipperary in the Munster final.
Because of their involvement in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final on August 10, Cork are to seek a change of date for their Munster U21 HC final against Tipperary.
The game has been fixed for Semple Stadium on Wednesday, August 6, but with a number of senior players involved, Cork have looked for a change of date.
The likelihood is that the hurling final will be played on Thursday, July 31, with the U21 FC semi-final against Waterford being deferred to a later date.
With a number of crunch SHC games involving at least eight Cork players, down for decision commencing tomorrow night, the county selectors will be keeping their fingers crossed that no further injuries will be picked up.
Ronan Curran (St Finbarr’s), Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Donal Óg Cusack (Cloyne), Seán Ó hAilpín, John Gardiner (Na Piarsaigh), Kieran Murphy (Sarsfields) are all in action with their clubs this week.
Already coach Donal O’Grady looks set to be without Mark Prendergast for the All-Ireland semi-final on August 10.
The Na Piarsaigh man broke a bone is his spine and has been ruled out for at least a month.
His club colleague John Gardiner is having trouble striking the sliotar because of a hand injury, but he is expected to play with Na Piarsaigh in the county SHC against Imokilly tomorrow night.
Cork centre-forward Niall McCarthy has a fractured thumb picked up in the Munster final against Waterford and will miss tomorrow night’s clash.
However, his team-mate Jason Barrett, who injured his hand playing with the county intermediate team, is expected to be available for the East Cork divisional side.
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