Kenny returns for Cork hurlers

Cork have been handed a major boost with the return of Tom Kenny to their side for Sunday's Munster SHC final against Waterford at Semple Stadium (throw-in 4pm).

Kenny is paired with Cathal Naughton at midfield, in the only change to the team which started last month's semi-final win over Limerick.

The Grenagh clubman was due to start for the Rebels in that 2-19 to 0-12 victory but did not feature in the game, with Kanturk's Lorcan McLoughlin getting a late call-up.

This means that Cork manager Denis Walsh has named the same starting line-up that featured in their 3-15 to 0-14 quarter-final win over Tipperary at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on May 30.

Walsh has been pleased with the progress made by the panel, since he took charge over 12 months ago.

"From the very start, we had a good idea who we wanted on the panel, and we had it finalised very early on," he said.

"We released a few guys that we felt weren't going to be given a chance, and we brought guys in that we wanted to have a look at in the league.

"We gave all of them a run, and I thought we played fairly well in every game, so we stuck with the squad assembled since the first of February.

"I think everything has gone as well as we could have hoped for up to now, and even in the league final, I felt we performed excellently in the first half, and it was probably our best 35 minutes of hurling for 12 months.

"We needed to step up a gear in the second half, but instead we went back a gear, and Galway drove on to win well. That was a disappointment, but I still felt we had taken a lot from the league campaign."

CORK (SHC v Waterford): D Óg Cusack; S O’Neill, E Cadogan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg O hAilpín; T Kenny, C Naughton; B O’Connor, J O’Connor, N McCarthy; K Murphy (capt), A O hAilpín, P Horgan.