Kilkenny have wheeled out the big guns for Sunday's Division One A relegation play-off against Clare. As expected manager Brian Cody has given instant recalls to the Ballyhale Shamrocks players who have missed the league to date because of their successful campaign in the All-Ireland club championship.
There are all told seven changes, as Kilkenny introduce four Shamrocks players, Joey Holden at corner back, Michael Fennelly at centre back, TJ Reid on the 40 and Colin Fennelly on the edge of the square. The team is further strengthened by the return of All Star Cillian Buckley, current Hurler of the Year Richie Hogan and last year's captain Lester Ryan.
Having beaten Clare with a much weakened team in the last divisional match of the league, Kilkenny are hot favourites to maintain their top-division status.
KILKENNY (AHL v Clare): E Murphy; S Prendergast, P Murphy, J Holden; L Ryan, K Joyce, C Buckley; J Lyng, M Fennelly; W Walsh, TJ Reid, M Ruth; J Farrell, C Fennelly, R Hogan. Subs: R Reid, R Lennon, W Phelan, T Keogh, C O'Shea, B Kennedy, K Kelly, M Kelly, K Hogan, G Aylward.
DUBLIN (AHL v Limerick): G Maguire; C O'Callaghan, P Kelly, P Schutte; J McCaffrey, C Crummey, C Keaney; S Durkin, N McMorrow; D Sutcliffe, R O'Dwyer, M Schutte; D O'Callaghan, L Rushe, D Treacy.
TIPPERARY (AHL v Offaly): D Egan; P Stapleton, C O'Mahony, C Barrett; K Bergin, Pádraic Maher, R Maher; J Woodlock, M Breen; J O'Dwyer, B Maher (capt.), J Forde; N McGrath, S Callanan, N O'Meara.
GALWAY (AHL v Waterford): Colm Callanan; Johnny Coen, Paul Killeen, John Hanbury; David Collins, Greg Lally, Gearoid McInerney; Andy Smith, Iarlaith Tannian; Joseph Cooney, Joe Canning, Jonathan Glynn; James Regan, Cathal Mannion, Jason Flynn.
KILDARE (AFL v Laois): Mark Donnellan; Ciaran Fitzpatrick, Mick O'Grady, Ollie Lyons; Keith Cribbin, Fergal Conway, Emmet Bolton; Gary White, Tommy Moolick; Daniel Flynn, Eoghan O'Flaherty, Paul Cribbin; Fionn Dowling, Padraig Fogarty, Alan Smith.
