Cork manager Gerald McCarthy is hoping the "tremendous bond" between his players can inspire them to another famous victory in Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final against Kilkenny.

The Rebels have silenced their critics with two massive performances against Galway and Clare in recent weeks, and McCarthy has been taken aback by the determination and spirit they have shown to set up a meeting with the All-Ireland champions.

"I was always a great admirer of the team over the last number of years," said McCarthy who took up the reins two years ago.

"There are some fantastic individuals there, real leaders on the field a lot of them. I was still surprised by the bond that’s still there between them, tremendous.

"They are a magnificent bunch to work with and I think the bond will last long beyond their hurling lives. They are very honest and forthright.

"As you get older, you want to win more before the legs give out. A lot of these players certainly want to win an All-Ireland again.

"If Cork didn’t really want to win an All-Ireland, they could lie down and die. They are refusing to do that."

Meanwhile Tom Kenny and Jerry O’Connor are likely to be handed the most difficult job in hurling on Sunday.

The Cork midfield duo will be expected to channel out possession for their attack against a Kilkenny side burning with desire to land a third All Ireland title when the sides clash in the semi-final at Croke Park.

There may have been cracks in the Cork set-up of late but that has not prevented Gerald McCarthy’s side from chalking up impressive wins over Galway and Clare, both of whom had fancied their chances, with Joe Deane very much in form.

But those cracks will certainly need to be conspicuous by their absence against Brian Cody’s men whose intensity and urgency this year have been little short of awesome.

Cork, who have perhaps presented the greatest threat to the Cats in recent years, again find themselves at the cutting edge - facing the black and ambers is never easy but with a third successive All Ireland title in prospect, the reigning champions could hardly be more fired up.

They have galloped through to the last four, their battery of seasoned campaigners - Martin Comerford, Tommy Walsh, J J Delaney, Eddie Brennan and Henry Shefflin among them - having set the tone for their drive to immortality.

Cork manager McCarthy has been at pains to rubbish the theory that there has been unrest in his camp but although his side did well to stave off Galway and showed admirable resilience against Clare, they still lack real conviction.

Full-back Diarmaid O’Sullivan, a not so formidable ‘Rock’ this year, manages to keep his place in the team but Kilkenny will expose his lack of mobility and limited covering skills.

John Gardiner, Ronan Curran and Sean Og O hAilpin form a Cork half-back line rich in craft and skill yet even they will find it hard to contain Kilkenny’s busy running game.

The Cats have not been tested to date, of course. They beat Offaly by 2-24 to 0-12 and then humbled Wexford by 5-21 to 0-17, results that have emboldened them.