Cork go with 2005 winning formula

Cork will begin their quest for a third successive All-Ireland hurling title with the same team that started last year's final against Galway. Corner forward and 2004 winning captain Ben O'Connor has made a surprise recovery from a hamstring injury, and takes his place in the Cork attack for what is a highly attractive Munster semi-final against Clare in Thurles on Sunday.

O'Connor is named at left wing forward, having started at corner forward for most of last year, and his presence is a huge boost for the Cork team. Manager John Allen watched O'Connor train last night and while satisfied he had made sufficient recovery from the hamstring injury, the player will undergo another fitness test on Saturday morning to ensure he is ready to start.

It means Cork remain as formidably familiar as last year. New captain Pat Mulcahy will start at right corner back, having operated in the other corner last summer, alongside Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Brian Murphy, while the half-back line of John Gardiner, Ronan Curran and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín is unaltered.

Niall McCarthy is named at centre forward, with Timmy McCarthy on the wing, while Jerry O'Connor, twin brother of Ben, again partners Tom Kenny at midfield, with the veteran Brian Corcoran at full forward.

Kieran Murphy moves into the right corner forward position in the direct swap with Ben O'Connor. Reports about O'Connor's fitness had varied over the weekend, but he lined out for his club Newtownshandrum last Friday and trained with Cork on the Sunday.

Cork still have some experienced attackers in reserve should he fail to make it, including Neil Ronan and Kieran Murphy of the Erin's Own club, who both appeared as substitutes in last year's final.

The unchanged line-up from last year's win over Galway means Cork will field the same team that beat Clare in the thrilling semi-final, as that, too, was the same team that started the All-Ireland final. That game saw Clare fall to a one-point defeat having led by six going into the final quarter.

Clare will finalise their team after training tomorrow, with Tony Carmody's recovery from an ankle injury allowing manager Anthony Daly to select his strongest line-up. Like Cork, few if any changes are expected from the team that started in that All-Ireland semi-final.

CORK (SH v Clare): D Óg Cusack; P Mulcahy, D O'Sullivan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpín; T Kenny, J O'Connor; T McCarthy, N McCarthy, B O'Connor; K Murphy (Sarsfields), B Corcoran, J Deane.