Munster look to Clare as Leinster bank on Kilkenny

Interprovincial Hurling Championship: Clare lead the list of representatives with five players named on the Munster interprovincial hurling team to play Connacht in Cusack Park, Ennis, on Sunday.

Some of the selected players are on the periphery of their county teams, like Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash, but manager Jerry O'Sullivan has named the fearsome looking full forward line of Tipperary's Eoin Kelly, Clare's Niall Gilligan and Andrew O'Shaughnessy of Limerick.

Two Mullinahone club-mates join Kelly, his brother Paul and Paul Curran, as Tipperary get four selections with Diarmuid Fitzgerald named in the half-back line alongside John Gardiner and Alan Markham. Waterford have just one player in the team, Michael Walsh at centre forward, although Dan Shanahan is among the replacements.

Connacht have given Richie Murray a new role - at centre back. Murray was at midfield when Galway lost the 2001 All-Ireland to Tipperary and at wing forward in last year's final against Cork. New Galway manager Ger Loughnane is not involved in the management of the Connacht side - his selector Mike Murray and Galway hurling board secretary John Fahey are - but he has identified the centre-back spot as one of the key problem areas for the Tribesmen.

A number of players expected to return to the Galway set-up under Loughnane - Diarmuid Cloonan, Mark Kerins, John Lee and Iarla Tannian - have been included among the substitutes for Sunday's clash.

Leinster host Ulster tomorrow evening in Parnell Park at 7pm. The Leinster team, managed by former Wexford manager John Conran with Brian Whelahan and Richie Power as selectors, include eight players from All-Ireland winners Kilkenny.

Finally, the GAA have announced the best 30 players from the teams who participated in the Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cups. The winners will be recognised at an award ceremony in Croke Park on November 18th.

MUNSTER (SH v Connacht): A Nash (Cork); G O'Grady (Clare), S Lucey (Limerick), P Curran (Tipperary); D Fitzgerald (Tipperary), J Gardiner (Cork), A Markham (Clare); P Kelly (Tipperary), M O'Brien (Limerick); D McMahon (Clare), M Walsh (Waterford), T Carmody (Clare); A O'Shaugnessy (Limerick), N Gilligan (Clare), E Kelly (Tipperary).

CONNACHT (SH v Munster): (all Galway except where stated): L Donoghue; D Joyce, G Mahon, T Regan; D Collins, R Murray, S Kavanagh; F Healy, A Kerins; K Broderick, D Forde, D Tierney; G Farragher, E Cloonan, N Healy. Subs: A Ryan, D Cloonan, C Dervan, C Connolly, MJQuinn, K Burke, K Wade, M Kerins, J Lee, R Mullery (Roscommon), A Keary, I Tannian, C Coen, P Flynn, A Diviney, David Hayes.

LEINSTER (SH v Ulster): J McGarry (Kilkenny); M Travers (Wexford), J Tennyson (Kilkenny), J Ryall (Kilkenny); T Walsh (Kilkenny), R Hannify (Offaly), Diarmuid Lyng (Wexford); Derek Lyng (Kilkenny), R McCarthy (Wexford); E Brennan (Kilkenny), G Hannify (Offaly), D Franks (Offaly); J Bergin (Offaly), R Power (Kilkenny), A Fogarty (Kilkenny).

ULSTER (SH v Leinster): G Clarke (Down); A Bell (Down), G Bell (Antrim), M Conway (Derry); M Molloy (Antrim), L Hinphey (Derry), G Clarke (Down); A Savage (Down), B McGourty (Down); K Stewart (Antrim), P Braniff (Down), R Convery (Derry); J McIntosh (Antrim), G Savage (Down), D Cullen (Donegal).

RING CUP (winners): Malachy Molloy (Antrim), Paddy Richmond (Antrim), Ciarán Herron (Antrim), Pat Coady (Carlow), Des Murphy (Carlow), Eoin Hannon (Kildare), Paudie Reidy (Kildare), Paddy Barrett (Mayo), Paul Braniff (Down), Gary Savage (Down), Joe Murphy (Wicklow), Aidan Healy (Kerry), Michael Kelly (Roscommon), Fergus McMahon (London), David Donnelly (Meath).

RACKARD CUP (winners): Gregory Biggs (Derry), Seán Mc Bride (Derry), Michael Conway (Derry), Aidan Begley (Donegal), Kevin Campbell (Donegal), Paul Seevers (Sligo), Brian Carroll (Leitrim), Shane Cullen (Louth), Paddy Hoey (Warwickshire) Michael McHugh (Monaghan), Mark McEntee (Cavan), Paul McCormack (Armagh), Martin Coyle (Longford), Dermot Curran (Fermanagh), Barry Winters (Tyrone).