There’s a good argument that, of all the qualifier teams, Westmeath are the one with greatest buoyancy. They

performed respectably in the defeat to Wexford and welcome back Shane Power from injury and Robbie Greville and Niall O'Brien from suspension.

The scale of Limerick manager TJ Ryan's displeasure at the humiliation by Tipperary is evident in the swingeing changes: team captain Donal O'Grady, current All Star Séamus Hickey and former prodigy Declan Hannon are among those replaced.

Limerick are, however, a team with last-four experience in the past two years and even though Michael Ryan’s side can give a good account of themselves, the scalded reaction of the visitors won’t be containable.

WESTMEATH: S McGovern; S Power, T Doyle, K Duncan; A Craig, A Clarke, A McGrath; C Boyle, J Clarke; A Devine, D McNicholas, L Varley; N O'Brien, B Murtagh, R Greville. 
LIMERICK: N Quaid; T Condon, R McCarthy, S O'Brien; P O'Brien, G O'Mahony, W McNamara; J Ryan, P Browne; D Breen, S Tobin, S Dowling; G Mulcahy, K Downes, C Lynch. 
Referee: Paud O'Dwyer (Carlow)