If Cork go up a gear it's bye-bye Wexford

All-Ireland SHC Semi-finals Interview with Brian Cody: Last week's draw was a fantastic game of hurling, played the way I feel it should be played. Wexford have changed style to a more direct game with a lot of ground hurling, which is great to watch. Although I'd be critical of the new ball, it actually helped in that it bounces a few feet extra.

Wexford have also blended younger players with more experienced team-mates, and that has worked very well. The Jacobs are an example. They've pure skill, one touch and speed, but they need the older players around them.

At one stage Michael, I think it was, went up for a ball in a crowd of players, controlled it dead on his stick, took a couple of steps and put it over the bar.

Everything Wexford did worked, nearly every shot went over the bar. Cork had a lot of possession but a lot of wides. Wexford benefited from having played more games at Croke Park - and with the new sliotar on that surface. Their hooking, blocking and pressure hurling were excellent. It was needed because Cork's style of play means if they get the space they'll destroy you.

But they didn't and encountered other problems. It was their first time in the new stadium and they found the surface difficult and were slipping and watching the ball bounce through. Cork should have scored more by half-time and they looked in trouble by then.

But they eventually got going in the second half. Their half forwards started running at Wexford and the defence was opening up rather than shutting down.

Setanta Ó hAilpín is very difficult to mark and they don't play ball into him in the corner but out to the half-back line for him to come out to. David O'Connor will have to deal better with that.

Cork should have put them away and will be concerned about that. Rory McCarthy's equaliser might have started off a lucky break but the shot went in between the goalkeeper and the upright, and that's a mortal sin for any goalkeeper.

When Cork came back in the second half Wexford were beginning to lose it and couldn't contain their running. Mickey O'Connell, who'd been very quiet in the first half, went right through them for a score.

Part of the reason was Larry O'Gorman was fading at centrefield. He mightn't have been that noticeable but he's a workhorse, blocking, getting in the way, doing a job. It's probably not a coincidence that Cork started getting through at the time he was tiring.

Cork's selectors had great confidence not to make changes earlier than they did. I think there may have been a division of opinion in the camp because Seán O'Leary said there would be changes but a lot would have depended on what the team's adviser up in the stand would have said about the first half.

Donal O'Grady might have told the players they'd 10 minutes to start putting things right. But it still took nerve to do nothing. If Cork had been beaten the knives would have been out.

Wexford need everything to go as well as it did the last day whereas Cork have the ability to improve. I can't see the Cork full backs being pulled asunder again. Pat Mulcahy is shaky under the dropping ball but I'd imagine Diarmuid O'Sullivan will start there, with Mulcahy in the corner.

I was amazed by the change in Wexford's game. They're a team of skilful hurlers and if there is a surprise it will be in this game. In under-21 matches Cork have been losing by narrow margins and maybe they lack a killer instinct. But they will be warned after last week and it will be very hard for Wexford to peak again.

The National League final between Kilkenny and Tipperary was considered a hurling feast by some. I didn't think so. Some of the goals were extremely good but when you see two top teams letting in five goals each it means you aren't watching anything too serious. The urgency wasn't there in the sense of full commitment in defence.

I'd be concerned about Tommy Dunne's injury from a Tipp point of view. I saw the way he fell and would say if he plays it will be with a painkiller and his ankle strapped. His job is to stop Henry Shefflin playing because he's the crucial influence for Kilkenny.

Dunne was training in civvies the other night, just pucking a ball around, which isn't a great sign. When ankle ligaments go it can take up to three months for them to recover fully.

Their full back Philip Maher injured his cruciate in the league final and has been a huge loss for them. He's fast and swept and cleared behind his half backs as well as in the full-back line, so he was like a second centre back. Paul Curran won't be doing that and Dunne is inexperienced at centre back.

Shefflin has the ability to shield his opponent's hurley and catch the ball almost behind his man so there's no one there when he turns and goes for goal.

The Kilkenny forwards are nearly all big, strong men with skill and strength and if DJ Carey's on form Tipperary could be in for a hard time.

The biggest problem for Kilkenny could be the six-week delay. They are being written up, and have been all year, and the last time that happened they were beaten. If players think a match is a foregone conclusion, even at the back of their minds, they can find it difficult to go up a gear if things start to go wrong.

But Brian Cody has been here before and has been doing a good job of knocking any complacency out of them. No one is guaranteed a place on the team. I heard him justifying Paddy Mullally's call-up in place of Conor Phelan, saying "this is the player we want for this game". He's been keeping them on their toes.

Tipp have two dangerous corner forwards but Eoin Kelly at his best was getting a tremendous supply from Tommy Dunne, who will have his hands full. So Kelly will have to come out and a quick corner back will negate that. He's been an inspiration for Tipperary but will have to vary his game. Lar Corbett is playing very deep and won't get a goal out there.

Tipperary have a lot to prove after losing the League final and last year's semi-final to Kilkenny. This year they were beaten badly by Clare and have been very badly hit by injuries. They don't look in a position to reproduce the match of 12 months ago unless Kilkenny's minds aren't right. And I don't think that will happen.