A leg bone injury is expected to keep prodigal forward Richie Power out of the Kilkenny team for Saturday week's Leinster SHC semi-final against Westmeath.

Team captain Jackie Tyrrell has recovered from a hand injury to take his place in the Kilkenny side for tomorrow's NHL Division 1B showdown with Galway (Pearse Stadium, throw-in 3.30pm).

THE Galway hurling management have no intention at this stage of calling teenage prodigy Joe Canning into their squad, despite the perceived benefit to the team’s coring potential.

Martin Comerford will make his first start of the National Hurling League when Kilkenny take on Antrim in Division 1B tomorrow (Nowlan Park, throw-in 1.00pm).

IT’S déjà vu all over again, as our American friends like to say, as James Stephens of Kilkenny play UCD, Dublin champions, in a repeat of last year’s final.

LOOK closely at this Kilkenny team and there appears to be shades of the 2004 model lurking just below the surface.

Kilkenny 0-18 Limerick 0-13

THERE are still a lot of questions to be answered in relation to the ultimate destination of the Liam McCarthy Cup.

League champions Kilkenny begin their quest to regain Leinster and All-Ireland honours as they take on Offaly in the Leinster semi-final at Croke Park today.

Dublin boss Humphrey Kelleher takes his charges to Pearse Stadium where they face a daunting Division 1A National League opener against champions Galway.

All-Star Tommy Walsh makes the move from wing-back to centre-back for All-Ireland finalists' Kilkenny's opening league meeting with Munster champions Waterford on Sunday at Walsh Park.

REGULAR defender Mark Foley is named at full-forward on the Limerick team to meet Cork in Sunday’s Allianz NHL tie at Páirc Uí Rinn.

WIT 0-10 UCD 0-5

Dublin hurling manager Humphrey Kelleher will field an experimental side for the Walsh Cup clash with Leinster supremos Kilkenny on Sunday.

THE country’s farmers brought the message of Christmas to the people of Dublin yesterday with a traditional crib featuring live animals.