Cork and Tipp face off in Killarney

Cork and Tipperary renew rivalries in the Guinness All-Ireland hurling championship qualifiers at Killarney today - the first time in 17 years that Fitzgerald Stadium has hosted a hurling championship clash.

Both sides badly need a win, Cork having relinquished their Munster crown to Waterford, and Tipperary having failed to impress in general - beaten by the Decies in the championship and doing just about enough to defeat Limerick in the last round of the qualifiers.

The Cork management have resisted the temptation to wield the axe in the wake of the Munster final defeat, and have made only one change from the side for today's clash.

Timmy McCarthy drops to the bench and is replaced by Kieran Murphy, who came on to good effect in the provincial decider. The defence remains the same, but there are two further positional changes in attack.

Captain Ben O'Connor comes in at right wing-forward, with Garvan McCarthy going to the left wing in Timmy McCarthy's place. Murphy goes in at right corner-forward, in a full-forward line completed by Brian Corcoran and Joe Deane.

Tom Kenny and Jerry O’Connor continue their partnership in the middle of the park.

Conor Gleeson has beaten Mark O'Leary to the punch and was won a recall to the Tipperary team for today's encounter.

Gleeson missed the start of the campaign with a back injury and is named at centre-forward, in the place of Eddie Enright, who picked up an injury in the Premier County's win over Limerick.

Paul Kelly is again named at midfield, but is not expected to start there, with Colin Morrissey, who impressed last time out. John Carroll is the target man at full-forward, flanked by Seamus Butler and lethal marksman Eoin Kelly.

Two of the last eight championship clashes between the counties have ended level (1987 and 1991) and Tipperary won both replays. Extra-time will be played today in the event of the game finishing level.

CORK (SH v Tipperary): D Óg Cusack; W Sherlock, D O'Sullivan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpín; T Kenny, J O'Connor; B O'Connor, N McCarthy, G McCarthy; K Murphy, B Corcoran, J Deane.

TIPPERARY (SH v Cork): B Cummins; M Maher, P Maher, P Curran; E Corcoran, D Fanning, D Fitzgerald; C Morrissey, P Kelly; T Dunne, C Gleeson, B Dunne; S Butler, J Carroll, E Kelly.