Tomorrow's Church and General National Hurling League semi-finals at Thurles may be a rerun of Munster championship matches from last year but they are dominated by considerations relating to this year's championship, which begins later this month. There are parallels between the matches on the double bill with a young emerging side taking on an established power in each.

The progress of Cork and Waterford will be watched with great interest as both teams have momentum and are unlikely to be pulling their punches. The same can't be guaranteed of Clare and Limerick, whose championship rhythms are well established at this stage and won't feel that strong a need to impress in the League.

Cork's meeting with All-Ireland champions Clare is the more inviting of the two matches. The counties played out a fine championship clash in Limerick last June and up until the All-Ireland final Clare maintained that it had been their hardest match of the season.

Since then Clare have rolled along but Cork have improved in two respects. Firstly, the team is settled, for better or for worse, and Jimmy Barry Murphy and his selectors will be making minimal changes for the championship. Secondly, the team is performing quite well with defence that has acquired a reliable aura and an attack in which three players, Sean McGrath, Joe Deane and Fergal McCormack have been producing good displays.

McCormack's emergence as a ballwinning centre forward has been complemented by his impressive scoring returns in recent matches. He will have a thoroughly searching afternoon in the company of the country's best centre back, Sean McMahon.

That accolade is one that Brian Corcoran could dispute by the end of the summer but for tomorrow he will have his work cut out marking Conor Clancy, who was Clare's most consistent forward when they were squeaking Galway out of the semi-finals in Ennis two weeks ago.

Clare's focus may be exclusively on the championship but the prospect of another competitive match before the championship starts is attractive to management and players. There is a sense now that the county's starting attack could change significantly for the first time since the rise to prominence and in this regard Danny Scanlan's performance will be watched closely. A good showing will move him into the frame for consideration for a championship spot.

Cork's main concern about the league in general has to relate to the prospect of facing Limerick in the final, two weeks before the counties are due to meet in the championship. Clare have enough strength and competitiveness to extend their recent successful run against this opposition for another six weeks anyway.

Limerick's clash with Waterford is less straightforward, as the holders are quite weakened by injury and indisposition. It had been Eamonn Cregan's desire to start fielding his first 15 at this stage after a regulation League campaign in which six and seven changes a match were the norm. In this he has been thwarted by Pa Carey's illness, brother Ciaran's facial injury and the late withdrawal of Mike Galligan.

Waterford for their part have only tweaked a settled line-up reintroducing Peter Queally to partner Tony Browne at midfield, although they have been forced into one change by the injury to David Bennett, whose place is taken by Derek McGrath. Last summer's championship match was effectively decided by Limerick's whirlwind start which blew out Waterford's resistance early on. Tomorrow, Limerick aren't as prepared and have other things to distract them.

Waterford have momentum and can reach the county's first league final since 1963, also the last year they took a Munster title.