Same again for Tipperary

NOT unexpectedly, following their 24-points runaway win over Limerick in the penultimate stage, Tipperary have chosen the same starting side for Sunday’s glamour All-Ireland SHC final clash with Kilkenny at Croke Park.

With team captain Conor O’Mahony passed fit after suffering a ‘dead leg’ last week, and the rest of the squad given a clean bill of health, manager Liam Sheedy and his fellow selectors passed an unanimous vote of confidence in the team that ruthlessly put Limerick to the sword.

The Tipp back-room team were obviously keen to keep their forward division intact, particularly the full line of attack of Noel McGrath, Eoin Kelly and Lar Corbett, whom many believe pose the greatest test to Kilkenny’s bid to win four in-a-row All-Ireland senior hurling championship titles.

Galway have made one change in personnel for Sunday’s All Ireland MHC final with Kilkenny. Matthew Keating replaces John Brehony at right half back, while there is also a tactical switch which sees Brian Flaherty swap positions with Domhnall Fox. Flaherty, who played for the Galway minor footballers this year, reverts to centre-back, while Fox will start at right half forward.

There is a high degree of expectation surrounding this current crop of Galway hurlers under the stewardship of Mattie Murphy, who has guided the county to All Ireland minor success in 1992, 1994, 2004, and 2005, and was most unfortunate to be denied by Kilkenny in last year’s decider.

GALWAY (MH v Kilkenny): F. Flannery; J. Coen, D. Burke, Conor Burke; M. Keating, B. Flaherty, J. Cooney; J. Regan, D. Glennon; D. Fox, N. Burke, J. Grealish; R. Cummins, R. Badger, S. Maloney.

Subs: P. Skehill, T. Haran, M. Horan, K. Hussey, J. Brehony, N. Keary, C. Cooney, A. Mullins, Cathal Burke.