NEXT Sunday’s line-up in the permanent tsb county senior hurling championship semi-finals at Páirc Uí Chaoimh includes three of the teams that made it to the penultimate stage of the competition last year. The odd one out is Na Piarsaigh, ironically the side that produced the top performance so far this season when romping to victory over Sarsfields two weeks ago.

It was indeed a devastating display from a youthful Na Piarsaigh outfit, containing just two survivors — Seán Óg Ó hÁilpín and former attacker and current goalkeeper Mark O’Sullivan — from the team that brought a second county title to the Northside city club in 1995.

And it contrasted sharply with that served up on the same weekend by Blackrock, who were fortunate to emerge with a share of the spoils from their quarter final clash with unfancied Glen Rovers.

The Rockies made no mistake at the second attempt against the Glen last Sunday, but their performance wasn’t exactly out of the top drawer, with the marvellous marksmanship of midfielder Adrian Coughlan proving the key factor in their 0-18 to 0-11 win in a mediocre replay.

So, taking quarter final form as a pointer, Na Piarsaigh are entitled to fancy their chances of coming up trumps in what will be their first championship meeting with Blackrock since 1994.

Na Piarsaigh won that match to advance to the semi final where they went under to eventual champions Carbery, and, after going all the way the following year, they made it to the last four again in 1996, losing out to Imokilly on that occasion.

But the team, containing the bulk of the players that had made the historic breakthrough for the club in 1990, began to break up after that.

And Na Piarsaigh endured a fairly lean time of it over the next six campaigns, with their best run in this period occurring in 2001when they advanced to a quarter final that was lost, after a replay, to Castlelyons.

Well beaten by Imokilly in the third round last year, they wouldn’t have been rated as one of the leading contenders for ultimate honours at the start of the current campaign, especially after their ace forward Setanta Ó hÁilpín departed to Aussie Rules football.

They weren’t particularly impressive when coming through their opening test against last year’s intermediate kingpins Bride Rovers, and the general consensus was that significant improvement would be required if they were to have any chance of putting it up to Sars in the quarter final.

But Na Piarsaigh didn’t just provide Sars with a tough game, they completely outgunned the East-Cork men with an exhibition of fast, direct and skilful hurling that bordered on perfection.

They were 1-17 to 0-6 to the good at the finish, and, needless to say, their demolition-job on a Sars side that had lost narrowly to title winners Blackrock and Newtownshandrum, after a replay, at the semi final stage in 2002 and 2003 respectively has made everyone sit up and take notice.

Setanta Ó hÁilpín, home on holidays from Australia, made an appearance for the last five minutes of the game against Sars, and the expectation is that he will be included in the team for next Sunday’s showdown with the Rockies.

And his addition to an attack that, with such as Colin O’Sullivan, full forward Stephen O’Sullivan and especially Aisaki Ó hÁilpín scaling the heights, ripped the Sars defence to shreds would have to be viewed as a major boost to Na Piarsaigh’s prospects of claiming Blackrock’s scalp.

Mark Prendergast and Rory McGregor at midfield, and Seán Óg Ó hÁilpín, John Gardiner, Ronan O’Byrne and Robert Healy in defence were others to excel during the comprehensive victory in the quarter final.

But one swallow doesn’t make a summer, and the big question ahead of the showdown with Blackrock is whether Na Piarsaigh can replicate the display that earned them rave reviews two weeks ago.

If they can, then it will almost certainly mark the end of the line for the Rockies, who have clocked up a lot of mileage since they lost the 1998 decider to Imokilly, contesting four more finals in the meantime, and winning three in 1999, 2001 and 2002.

Blackrock could have no complaints about their defeat by Newtownshandrum in last year’s showpiece, and they haven’t been especially convincing en route to next Sunday’s semi final, losing their first round game against Killeagh before achieving anticipated wins at the expense of such limited opposition as Douglas, Muskerry and, in last weekend’s replay, Glen Rovers.

But it would be unwise to dismiss Blackrock as a spent force just yet, and their vast experience is bound to be an asset as they attempt to clip the wings of Na Piarsaigh’s tender-aged combination on Sunday.

It can be safely said that the Na Piarsaigh forwards, rampant against Sars, won’t find scores as easy to come by against a Blackrock defence that includes such tried and trusted performers as John Browne, Wayne Sherlock and Fergal Ryan.

Similarly, Paul Tierney and Adrian Coughlan can be relied upon to keep the flag flying at midfield, but perhaps the key factor in determining the outcome will be the extent of the headway made by such as Alan Browne and Brian O’Keeffe in the Blackrock attack.

The indications are, however, that Browne and O’Keeffe no longer possess the level of sharpness that provided the inspiration for much of Blackrock’s success over the past few years.

And if Na Piarsaigh can hold their own at midfield, and John Gardiner, David Gardiner and Seán Óg Ó hÁilpín play to form in the half back line, my guess is that even the best efforts of John Browne, Wayne Sherlock and Fergal Ryan in the Rockies’ rearguard won’t be enough to prevent the Ó hÁilpín brothers, Stephen O’Sullivan and Co. from putting a match-winning score on the board.

As with Blackrock, Newtownshandrum haven’t exactly been firing on all cylinders in the county championship up to now, a fact that was readily acknowledged by coach Ger Cunningham following their quarter final victory over CIT at Fermoy two weeks ago.

In truth, Newtown were allowed of the hook by the students, whose gross wastage of possession was primarily responsible for a 1-12 to 0-11 defeat.

And, unless Newtown recapture the form that hallmarked their impressive march to county, provincial and All-Ireland club glory last season, they could well have their hopes of completing their first two-in-a-row on the domestic front brought to an end by Cloyne in the second semi final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

The last meeting between these sides in the senior championship resulted in a win for Cloyne in a first round game in 1998. But Newtown, victors over Cloyne in the intermediate final two years earlier, have made far greater strides since then. Winners of the senior championship for the first time in 2000, when they also clocked up a third county consecutive county success at under-21 level, Newtown earned nationwide acclaim for the quality of their play which carried them to the pinnacle of club hurling last March.

Not surprisingly, they headed the ante-post betting on this year’s county championship.

But a combination of fatigue and an injury that sidelined ace centre back Pat Mulcahy meant that their form dipped drastically for the first round game which was lost to CIT.

They didn’t perform anywhere close to their peak either when getting the better of Delanys, Erins Own and CIT in their next three outings. Pat Mulcahy returned to action for the Erins Own match, and played a leading role in Newtown’s flattering seven-point win over a highly rated Glounthaune side.

But Mulcahy wasn’t at his best when Newtown renewed rivalry with CIT, and it could well prove disastrous for the champions if he fails to function with his familiar authority at the heart of the defence again on Sunday. Make no mistake about it, Cloyne are going to be a very hard nut to crack, and, a bit unlucky to lose to Blackrock in last year’s semi final, their determination to qualify for their first ever decider knows no bounds at this stage.

Decisive winners over St. Finbarr’s in the quarter final, Cloyne’s performance in that game was arguably more convincing than any they had produced since they stepped up to the top flight in 1998.

Predictably, their defence, the mainstay of the team for the past few seasons, was very solid, with Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Killian Cronin excelling.

But the impact made by teenager Mike Naughton at midfield, and such as Conor Cusack, Ian Quinlan and 16-year-old Paudie O’Sullivan was the most encouraging aspect of Cloyne’s display, suggesting that the team now possesses the all-round balance to make a bold bid for the title.

For all that, one feels that Newtown will have Cloyne’s measure if they perform to their true potential, and, in the belief that the open spaces at Páirc Uí Chaoimh will suit their style of play, I expect them to put their best foot forward on Sunday. But it’s going to be no easy task for the holders.

And they will need to have Pat Mulcahy marshalling the defence with his customary assurance, and Jerry O’Connor and Ben O’Connor exhibiting their wide range of skills to the full at midfield and centre forward respectively, if they are to suppress what is sure to be a vibrant challenge from Cloyne, and advance to their fourth final in five years.

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