Waterford have switched Fergal Hartley to centre forward for Sunday's Munster hurling semi-final against Limerick. The move was expected as the player has played well on the 40 in challenge matches against Galway and Offaly. Although he made his name as a half back, Hartley is versatile and two years ago, in the last championship meeting between the counties, he was named at centrefield.

De La Salle corner forward John Mullane makes his debut and is the only newcomer to this level although full forward Seamus Prendergast, who appeared as a substitute in last year's championship defeat by Tipperary, will be starting for the first time.

Gerald McCarthy's selection will not raise many eyebrows. It is constrained by a couple of injury problems. Stephen Frampton's finger injury keeps him out of the wing back position and Dave Bennett also picked up a knock but is named among the substitutes.

The match is likely to sell out with interest huge in both counties. The 16,000 tickets allocated to Waterford are expected to be gone by tomorrow with sufficient demand there for more.

Since the shock elimination of Cork, the landscape has changed dramatically for Waterford. It is 12 years since the county last defeated Cork in a championship match and the consensus is that they will be more comfortable facing Limerick despite that county's impressive display in the first round.

Last year Waterford lost to Tipperary by four points and this weekend's line-up shows only three changes from that 15.

Apart from Mullane and Prendergast, James O'Connor starts his first championship match in four years since a heavy defeat by Limerick.

Other positional switches see Peter Queally dropping back to pivot the defence. Tony Browne, Hurler of the Year in 1998, moves to his best-known centrefield location.

Captain Ken McGrath is on the wing and has recovered from the hand fracture sustained over a month ago.

The counties met only two years ago and Waterford won by a point. This week's selection shows five changes from that match. Hartley is injured, Micheal White and Bennett are on the bench, whereas Billy O'Sullivan and Brian Greene are no longer available.

Limerick will probably name a team tonight. Injury concerns about TJ Ryan, Jack Foley, Brian Begley and Mike O'Brien are expected to clear up leaving manager Eamonn Cregan a full pick. Meanwhile, John Leahy will know today the extent of the knee injury that restricted his involvement in Sunday's defeat of Clare to less than a minute. According to county PRO Liz Howard: "John received a pain- killing injection on the field. He will undergo exploratory surgery before the damage can be assessed." The scope takes place today.

WATERFORD (SH v Limerick): B Landers; T Feeney, S Cullinane, B Flannery; J Murray, P Queally, J O'Connor; T Browne, J Brenner; D Shanahan, F Hartley, K McGrath (capt.); J Mullane, S Prendergast, P Flynn. Subs: S Brenner, Alan Kirwan, D Prendergast, E Murphy, D Bennett, E Kelly, E McGrath, M White, Anthony Kirwan.