Updated 22.20pm
BRIAN CODY HAS made just three changes to his Kilkenny starting line-up ahead of Sunday’s provincial semi-final against Dublin.
Walter Walsh comes into the full forward line at the expense of Aidan Fogarty.
Behind him, Dicksboro’s Cillian Buckley gets the nod over TJ Reid in a half forward line where Richie Power and Eoin Larkin retain their place.
The only other change is in the fullback line, where Conor Fogarty joins JJ Delaney and Paul Murphy after Jackie Tyrell failed to recover from a quad injury in time to make the panel.
Meanwhile, Dublin boss Anthony Daly has kept faith with the side that defeated Wexford in last Saturday’s Leinster hurling quarter-final replay.
Dublin got the better of Wexford by 1-17 to 0-12 in a fractious encounter in Parnell Park after the teams had drawn 1-17 apiece the previous weekend in Wexford Park.
Thirteen members of the Dublin side that were convincingly beaten by 2-21 to 0-9 by Kilkenny when the teams met at the same stage last year in O’Moore Park in Portlaoise, are included in the starting fifteen on this occasion.
The newcomers are the Cuala duo of Paul Schutte and David Treacy who start at left corner-back and full-forward respectively.
They replace Tomas Brady, who is now involved with the county’s football squad but is currently sidelined with cruciate ligament damage, and Shane Durkin, who is still a member of Daly’s squad and came on as a substitute against Wexford last week.
Ten players – Gary Maguire, Niall Corcoran, Peter Kelly, Johnny McCaffrey, Joey Boland, Liam Rushe, Conal Keaney, Ryan O’Dwyer, Conor McCormack and Paul Ryan – were on the starting team that claimed a famous victory over Kilkenny in the 2011 Division 1 hurling league final in Croke Park by 0-22 to 1-7.
KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy (Glenmore); Paul Murphy (Danesfort), JJ Delaney (Fenians), Conor Fogarty (Erins Own); Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan), Brian Hogan (O’Loughlin Gaels), Kieran Joyce (Rower-Inistioge); Lester Ryan (Clara), Michael Rice (Carrickshock), Cillian Buckley (Dicksboro), Richie Power (Carrickshock), Eoin Larkin (James Stephens); Walter Walsh (Tullogher Rosbercon), Richie Hogan (Danesfort), Colin Fennelly (Ballyhale Shamrocks).
DUBLIN: Gary Maguire (Ballyboden/St Enda’s); Niall Corcoran (Kilmacud Crokes), Peter Kelly (Lucan Sarsfields), Paul Schutte (Cuala); Stephen Hiney (Ballyboden St Enda’s), Liam Rushe (St Patrick’s, Palmerstown), Michael Carton (O’Tooles); John McCaffrey (Lucan Sarsfields, captain), Joseph Boland (Na Fianna); Conal Keaney (Ballyboden St Enda’s), Ryan O’Dwyer (Kilmacud Crokes), Danny Sutcliffe (St Jude’s); Paul Ryan (Ballyboden St Enda’s), David Treacy (Cuala), Conor McCormack (Ballyboden St Enda’s).
Wexford boss Liam Dunne has made two changes for their All-Ireland SHC preliminary round qualifier against Antrim tomorrow afternoon.
Michael O’Regan is selected at centre-back while Padge Doran gets a starting berth at full-forward. The two players to lose out are the suspended Andrew Shore, who was sent-off in last weekend’s Leinster quarter-final replay loss, and attacker Eoin Quigley.
WEXFORD: Mark Fanning (Glynn-Barntown); Eoin Moore (Oulart-the-Ballagh), Tomas Waters (St Martin’s), Bobby Kenny (Buffers Alley); Richie Kehoe (Faythe Harriers), Michael O’Regan (Glynn-Barntown), Ciaran Kenny (Buffers Alley); David Redmond (Oulart-the-Ballagh), Lee Chin (Faythe Harriers); Jack Guiney (Rathnure), Gareth Sinnott (Oulart-the-Ballagh), Harry Kehoe (Cloughbawn); Paul Morris (Ferns), Podge Doran (Oylegate-Glenbrien), Rory Jacob (Oulart-the-Ballagh).
Here’s the Antrim team for the game.
ANTRIM: Chris O’Connell; Barry McFall, Aaron Graffin, Conor McKinley; Simon McCrory, Neil McManus, Paul Shiels; Jackson McGreevey, Neal McAuley; Tony McCloskey, Conor Carson, Shane McNaughton; Christopher McGuinness, Karl Stewart, Darren Hamill.
Finally the Westmeath team has been announced for their hurling qualifier clash against London in Ruislip tomorrow afternoon.
WESTMEATH: Peter Collins (St Oliver Plunkett’s); Liam Varley (Castletown Geoghegan), Tommy Gallagher (Castlepollard), Paul Fennell (Castletown Geoghegan); David Fennell (Castletown Geoghegan), Alan McGrath (Clonkill), Adam Price (Clonkill); Eoin Price (Clonkill), Joe Clarke (Castletown Geoghegan); Brendan Murtagh (Clonkill), Aaron Craig (St Oliver Plunkett’s), Derek McNicholas (Lough Lene Gaels); Niall O’Brien (Castletown Geoghegan), Robbie Greville (Raharney), John Shaw (Raharney).
