O’Mahony returns for Premier County’s clash with Banner

CONOR O’MAHONY returns to the Tipperary lineup for Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final against Clare in the Gaelic Grounds in the only change from the side that defeated Cork last month. O’Mahony is named at centre-back with Padraic Maher moving to half-back and John O’Keeffe to the full-back line in place of Paddy Stapleton.

Opponents Clare have named three championship debuts in their starting 15. Patrick O’Connor will line out at right half-back while in attack, Cratloe duo Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath start at left half-forward and left corner-forward respectively. O’Connor and McGrath both lined out for Clare against Tipperary in last summer’s Munster U21 final while McInerney was on the Árd Scoil Rís team that contested last year’s All-Ireland Colleges decider.

In all, manager Ger O’Loughlin has made four changes from last month’s Division 2 league final defeat to Limerick. Philip Brennan returns as goalkeeper instead of Donal Tuohy while James McInerney is selected at centre-back instead of the injured Domhnall O’Donovan. At midfield, Liam Markham makes way with Jonathan Clancy coming out to the middle and Cathal McInerney introduced on the wing. Darach Honan starts in the full-forward line instead of Colin Ryan.