Waterford will be at their most determined at Walsh Park on Sunday when neighbours Kilkenny visit for what promises to be a game of more than usual intensity. A victory for the home side would guarantee them a place in the semi-finals and, not even the presence of DJ Carey in the Kilkenny side is likely to deflect from Waterford's single-minded pursuit of such a valued prize.
Waterford hurling has had many ups and downs in recent years without ever earning the respect which it deserves and the opportunity which now presents itself will not be allowed to slip away without an all-out effort. Waterford have beaten Laois and Tipperary in the present National League campaign, drawn with Wexford and lost only to Cork. Kilkenny have been in something of a slump and have won only one of their four matches to date.
Cork and Limerick are already through to the semi-finals and that leaves the other two positions "up for grabs" between Clare, Galway, Waterford, Wexford, Tipperary and, although it is a highly unlikely outcome, Laois. In these circumstances Waterford are confident that, given their previous performances, they are in a very strong position to take one of the places available.
Their chances are boosted by the fact that Tom Feeney returns to the midfield position following suspension. His recall relegates Gary Gater to the subs bench. Waterford, therefore, have their destiny in their own hands but a slip-up at this stage would be a huge disappointment for their supporters. Adding some spice to the match is the fact that defeat for Kilkenny could result in relegation. They have lost to Laois, Cork and Tipperary and have managed to beat only Wexford.
The Waterford manager, former Cork star Gerald McCarthy, says his side is on an upward graph. "We have been making strides in recent times and we are confident that we can make the semi-finals, but Kilkenny are at their most dangerous when they are underdogs so we know we will not get anything easy," he says.
Waterford retain Brian Greene at left half-back and Billy O'Sullivan at right corner forward. They were drafted in for the Wexford match in the absence of Peadar Queally and Derek McGrath, who were injured and who are now included in the list of subs. Antrim, who travel to Limerick, realise that, even if they win, they may still be involved in a play-off to retain their Division One status. Much will depend on results elsewhere. They have brought Paul Molloy in to the right corner back position with Seamus McMullen moving to wing back while Gary O'Kane replaces Joe O'Neill at full forward. Antrim's only victory in the league so far was against Offaly. They will still be without Sean Paul McKillop, who has not yet recovered from injury.
Galway travel to Clare with a number of question marks hanging over their selection. Clare are in the driving seat in this match having a lead of two points and a superior scoring average. A draw will be sufficient for Clare to reach the semi-finals on May 3rd.
Even if Galway win they would need to do so by a wide margin in order to overtake Clare for the semi-final spot.
Meanwhile, Tyrone will have to complete their National Hurling League campaign without top scorer Eamon Devlin. The outstanding attacker has left for a spell in America, and will be a huge loss for this Sunday's Division 2B clash with Louth at Omagh.
"It's a big blow to lose our best scoring forward," said manager Brendan Harkin. "He has been very consistent and we have always been able to rely on him."
