Keating picks experienced side

Tipperary manager Michael 'Babs' Keating has announced a familiar line-up for Sunday's opening round of the Allianz National Hurling League against Limerick - arguably the most competitive match of the day.

Although forwards Eoin Kelly and Micheál Webster and defender Diarmaid Fitzgerald are ruled out through injury, Keating has named 10 of team that started in the last summer's All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Galway.

Having experimented with several newcomers in recent trial matches and the Waterford Crystal Cup, Keating has reverted to some of the more experienced heads for the visit to Limerick's Gaelic Grounds.

Brendan Cummins is named in goal, with Philip Maher, Paul Curran and Eamonn Corcoran all named in the defence. Ger 'Redser' O'Grady of Thurles Sarsfields will play his first competitive game as captain from left half forward.

Interestingly, wing back Liam England and midfielder Niall Curran will make their league hurling debuts for Tipperary, having both featured on the Tipperary senior football panel last year - helping them to the Tommy Murphy Cup.

Limerick beat Tipperary in the Waterford Crystal Cup earlier this year, and are setting out to capture their first league crown since 1997. Tipperary famously won a league and championship double in 2001 - while Keating himself led them to league titles in 1988 and 1994 during his previous term as manager.

Elsewhere, in Division One B, league champions Kilkenny are at home to Laois, although manager Brian Cody won't finalise his team until later in the week, while beaten All-Ireland finalists Galway are away to Antrim.

Division One B offers the second most competitive game in the form of Waterford against Wexford, set for Dungarvan.

For Wexford manager Séamus Murphy, the league has come on a little too soon as he currently has a long injury-list which includes Dessie Mythen, MJ Furlong, Barry Lambert, Paul Roche and Andrew Kavanagh - with doubts also surrounding the fitness of new team captain Keith Rossiter, as well as Declan Ruther and Darren Stamp.

It also looks increasingly likely that veteran midfielder Adrian Fenlon is calling time on his inter-county career - leaving just Damian Fitzhenry and Rory McCarthy as the last two links with the 1996 All-Ireland winning team. Fenlon had suggested that 2005 would be his last year, and having made his senior debut back in 1992 his return had been far from certain.

Clare's meeting with Down at Cusack Park has been brought forward to 1.30pm, while AllIreland champions Cork open their league campaign with a visit to Offaly.

TIPPERARY (SH v Limerick): B Cummins; D Fanning, P Maher, P Curran; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony, L England; E Brislane, N Curran; B Dunne, C Morrissey, G O'Grady; S Butler, J O'Brien, D Egan.