Tipp make five changes for Westmeath clash
Tipperary manager John Evans has made five changes to his team for Saturday's GAA All-Ireland SFC first round qualifier against Westmeath at Ardfinnan, throw-in 3pm.
Christopher Aylward, George Hannigan, Philip Austin, Hugh Coghlan and Brian Coen are the new inclusions.
The Tipperary footballers have not been in competitive action since they lost their Munster quarter-final to Limerick by 1-08 to 1-05 on May 25.
As well as that, they go into Saturday's game without four stalwarts of the current team.
Aidan Foley, Kevin Mulryan, Niall Fitzgerald and Seamus Grogan are all on the Premier county's injury list.
Tipp, as a Division 4 team, missed last year's All-Ireland qualifiers but they are back in contention this term after winning promotion to NFL Division 3 in April.
They last met Westmeath in the championship in the first round of the 2005 qualifiers, when the Lakesiders claimed a 0-12 to 1-08 victory.
TIPPERARY (SFC v Westmeath) - P Fitzgerald; N Curran, M Peters, C McDonald; P Codd, R Costigan, C Aylward; E Hanrahan, G Hannigan; D O'Brien, P Austin, H Coghlan; S Carey (capt), B Coen, B Grogan.
