Cancun to Clonmel will test champions

ALL-IRELAND champions Kerry will require the full breadth of their extended panel on Sunday for their first competitive fixture since September’s decider against Mayo.

A trip to Clonmel for a McGrath Cup game against Tipperary four days after returning from a holiday in Mexico is unlikely to fire the imagination and quicken the pulse of the players, but it's an opportunity for coach Jack O'Connor and his selectors, Ger O'Keeffe and Johnny Culloty, to examine how deep Kingdom resources run.

The management will meet tonight to select a side for the clash, with the likes of midfielders, Mike Quirke, Seamus Scanlon, Donal Daly and Kieran Donaghy hungry for action.