Tipperary v Wexford

Tipperary will feel more apprehensive about tomorrow's Guinness All-Ireland hurling semi-final in Croke Park (3.30 p.m.) than would have appeared likely had they been told about it a month ago. For a team as meticulously prepared as the Munster champions, the change of opponents may not have been welcome.

That "change" arose from Wexford's shock defeat of Limerick which shunted Galway off to play Kilkenny rather than Tipp. On the face of it, that looks a good trade for Nicholas English. But along with Wexford comes a dose of the unknown. The team that fumbled its way to a hammering in the Leinster final wouldn't survive tomorrow for long but if the rate of improvement between that outing and the quarter-final against Limerick is maintained, Wexford will be a tricky proposition.

Assuming their performance falls somewhere in between, the Leinster finalists will still be awkward opponents on what is for them home ground and for Tipperary not familiar territory.

Tipperary are keeping fingers crossed that Paul Kelly's hamstring will be fit to carry him. Wexford have a similar complaint with Declan Ruth at wing back.

In the second half of the Munster final, Tipperary's forwards struggled to find rhythm and looked physically light and a bit short of pace. Declan Ryan suffered from the heat in Cork but tomorrow he's up against an in-form full back, Darragh Ryan, whose confidence must have been lifted by his display against Brian Begley. And in front of Ryan, Liam Dunne was sufficiently effective to give Ollie Moran his least rewarding day of the campaign.

If there is enough in all of that to encourage the underdogs, their attack is more sobering. Although four goals were scored the last day, three came from dead balls and two were scored by goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry. Admittedly the odd one out was a super strike by McCarthy but, overall, the forwards have much to do against a decent Tipperary defence.

Nicky Lambert's physical presence is unlikely to give him an edge against Philip Maher and even experienced Wexford followers acknowledge that they need more from Paul Codd, notwithstanding his excellence from the placed ball.

It's an area where Tipp have their own troubles. Some indifferent form by John Carroll culminated in his substitution the last day and there will be anxious moments as stock is taken of hoped-for improvement from the All Star. Kelly's injury is all the more troublesome when one considers his switching to wing back was part of the re-arranged endgame that worked out for Tipperary.

Nonetheless, for all the possibilities that have been enchanting Wexford over the past fortnight and the giddy prospect of being 70 minutes away from an All-Ireland final, it's worth remembering the quarter-final was Limerick's poorest display of the summer and Wexford's best in three years.

Even then, had Paul O'Grady maintained his Munster form from frees, Limerick would have won. Similar concessions will be mercilessly punished by Tommy Dunne and Eoin Kelly. Tipperary have been building to this for a few years and should have acquired enough craft to handle what may be a difficult assignment.