It's 'as you were' for both the Cork hurling and football starting line-ups as the teams prepare for their respective semi and quarter final clashes at Croke Park this coming Sunday, August 10.

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody, left, with Cork manager Gerald McCarthy at a Media Conference ahead of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter-Finals. Croke Park, Dublin. Picture: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE

Football manager Conor Counihan and his hurling counterpart Gerald McCarthy have resisted the urge to make changes to the starting 15's that were both comprehensively out-played during the first half of their last competitive encounters in the championships.

McCarthy, despite strong speculation suggesting the possible exclusion of Diarmuid O'Sullivan, has shown faith in the player known as 'The Rock' installing him in the full back position for the contest against reining All-Ireland Champions Kilkenny.

The Cloyne player will take up his familiar position at the edge of the square despite suffering from indifferent form of late. The two-time All-Ireland winner has been substituted in the county's last two games against both Clare and Galway when Cork were dominated in the first half before staging marvellous comebacks to secure a bout with their old rivals Kilkenny.

It means a return to the bench for Timmy McCarthy, Kieran 'Fraggy' Murphy and Neil Ronan, all of whom played a vital part in Cork's recent success over Clare with a total contribution of 2 -2 between them.

It's much the same story for the footballers with the towering Michael Cussen, a highly effective second-half impact substitute in the Munster Football Final, having to contend with starting Sunday's quarter-final clash against Kildare on the bench.

Cussen, who contributed 1-1 and was widely accredited with kick-starting Cork's unlikely revival against the All-Ireland Champions Kerry, will be joined on the bench by Fintan Goold and James Masters, two other players who played a significant part in turning the points deficit in Cork favour.

Captain Graham Canty meanwhile will return to his midfield berth having successfully recovered from a medial ligament injury which forced him off during the Munster Final. It remains to be seen however whether the Cork selectors will opt for a direct formation or withdraw Canty to the sweeper role that he fulfilled during the first-half of the Munster final.

The GAA meanwhile say they are expecting a near capacity 'red and white' crowd for Sunday's double header, having rejected Kildare's appeal to have the Football quarter-final clash postponed by a week to allow their players to rest having been in championship action for the previous three successive weeks.

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