Clare and Kilkenny name unchanged U-21 teams

The management teams from Clare and Kilkenny have opted for unchanged starting line-ups for tomorrow's Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U-21 Hurling Championship final in Thurles (throw-in 7pm).

From the Clare side that beat Antrim last time out, there are a series of positional switches with Seadna Morey and Patrick O'Connor swapping wings in the half-back line.

Aaron Cunningham and Tony Kelly have also switched flanks in attack and Cathal O'Connell is now top of the right with Cathal McInerney listed at left corner forward.

O'Connell and McInerney will line out alongside captain Conor McGrath, who is one of only two survivors from the Banner's 2009 All-Ireland U-21 triumph over Kilkenny.

Wing back O'Connor from Tubber is the other remaining link back to that team. They beat the young Cats by 0-15 to 0-14 in that decider three years ago.

There are eight players in the current Clare U-21 side that have already played senior hurling for the county, and that extra bit of experience could stand to them as they look to add to that maiden U-21 success from 2009.

Meanwhile, Kilkenny U-21 manager Richie Mulrooney has stuck with a winning formula in backing the players who started the semi-final win over defending champions Galway.

Although an unchanged team has been announced, senior panellist Cillian Buckley is expected to move to midfield as he did against Galway with Ollie Walsh taking up a wing forward role.

Other positional switches anticipated are the moving of Padraig Walsh, brother of Kilkenny senior star Tommy, to the edge of the Clare square and John Power could see action out around the 40.

The interchangability of the Kilkenny forwards is just one trick under Mulrooney's sleeve as they bid to secure the county's first U-21 All-Ireland in four years and a record 12th in all.

"We have one big hour ahead of us and hopefully we are up to the task. We're very focused on this game, extremely so," he told the Kilkenny People.

"We would really love to win this Under-21 All-Ireland title for Kilkenny. The standard of the U-21 championship in 2012 has been very, very high. A number of teams could have ended up in the final.

"An awful lot of young players involved at this level throughout the country are already making waves on their senior inter-county teams.

"Clare would be similar to Galway in that regard - seven or eight of the team we'll face on Saturday have already played league or Championship with the Clare seniors."

CLARE U-21: Ronan Taaffe; Paul Flanagan, David McInerney, Killian Ryan; Seadna Morey, Conor Ryan, Patrick O'Connor; Colm Galvin, Shane Golden; Aaron Cunningham, Padraic Collins, Tony Kelly; Cathal O'Connell, Conor McGrath (capt), Cathal McInerney.

KILKENNY U-21: Dylan Walsh; Jason Corcoran, Willie Phelan, Brian Kennedy; Luke Harney, Richie Doyle, Joe Lyng; Geoff Brennan, Ollie Walsh; Kevin Kelly (capt), Padraig Walsh, Cillian Buckley; Walter Walsh, John Power, Ger Aylward.