Goalkeeper Brendan Cummins has been selected for Tipperary in tomorrow’s opening Division One A fixture of the Allianz Hurling League against Cork, 20 years after his debut for the county in November 1993.
The first team of Eamon O’Shea’s managerial reign includes one debutant, John O’Dwyer at corner forward. Páraic Maher is at centre back just a fortnight after his disappointment with Thurles Sarsfields in the All-Ireland club semi-finals but his club-mates, including 2010 Hurler of the Year Lar Corbett, are not back yet.
Scoring exploits
Last season’s league finalists Cork introduce three newcomers for the match.
Daniel Kearney and Stephen Moylan both played as replacements in last year’s championship, including the All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Galway, but Stephen White is making his first appearance for the county. The three start, at centrefield, right corner forward and wing back respectively.
Team captain Patrick Cronin is suspended, whereas Jamie Coughlan is recovering from hip surgery, which is likely to keep him out of the competition. Former All Star football nominee Michael Cussen is also out injured for this weekend.
Galway have named nine of the team that lost last year’s All-Ireland hurling final replay for Sunday’s return match with the champions Kilkenny in Pearse Stadium. Manager Anthony Cunningham hasn’t called up any St Thomas’s players, who will contest next month’s All-Ireland club final.
Meanwhile the semi-finals of the Sigerson Cup take place this afternoon at Athlone IT, starting at 12.45 with the clash of favourites DCU and DIT. At 2.30, Billy Morgan’s UCC will take on the hosts.
Finally both managers, Pat Gilroy and Joe Kernan have made their selections for Sunday’s M Donnelly interprovincial football final at Croke Park.
TIPPERARY (SH v Cork): B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Curran, C O’Brien; D Maher, Pádraig Maher, B Maher; S McGrath, J Ryan; S Callanan, N McGrath, Patrick Maher; S Bourke, B O’Meara, J O’Dwyer.
CORK (SH vTipperary): A Nash; S O’Neill, S McDonnell, C O’Sullivan; S White, C Joyce, W Egan; D Kearney, L McLoughlin; P O’Sullivan, C McCarthy, C Lehane; S Moylan, L O’Farrell, P Horgan. Subs: D McCarthy, B Murphy, K Murphy, M Ellis, T Kenny, M Walsh, R O’Shea, S Harnedy, B Hartnett, P O’Brien, A Mannix.
GALWAY (AHL v Kilkenny): F Flannery; J Coen, K Hynes, F Moore; N Donoghue, J Cooney, D Collins; I Tannian, A Harte; J Glynn, N Burke, D Glennon; N Healy, J Canning, D Hayes.
LEINSTER (SF panel v Ulster): S Cluxton; G Brennan, P Flynn, MD Macauley, C OSullivan, B Brogan ( Dublin), K Lillis (Laois), M Quinn, B Gilleran, S McCormack (Longford), R Barry, G Molloy, B Malone, A Flynn (Wexford), J Heslin, D Dolan (Westmeath), J Sheridan (Meath), P Keenan, N Gallagher (Louth), J Stafford (Wicklow), B Kavanagh, B Murphy (Carlow), B O’Connor (Offaly).
ULSTER: P McConnell (Tyrone); C McKaigue (Derry), N McGee (Donegal), E McGee (Donegal); A Kernan (Armagh), D Hughes (Monaghan), C McKeever (Armagh); S Cavanagh (Tyrone), D Givney (Cavan); M McHugh (Donegal), M Penrose (Tyrone), J McMahon (Tyrone); J Clarke (Armagh), K Niblock (Antrim), C McManus (Monaghan).
