Tipperary stick with same 15, two  Kilkenny changes

Tipperary manager Liam Cahill signs autographs before the game with Galway. Pic:Laszlo Geczo, Inpho

Liam Cahill has announced the same side that began the All-Ireland quarter-final win over Galway for Sunday’s semi-final against Kilkenny in Croke Park.

Debutant midfielder Peter McGarry was replaced by Darragh Stakelum at half-time in that eight-point win in TUS Gaelic Grounds but is named in the team to face the Cats, Tipp’s first SHC meeting with their neighbours since the 2019 All-Ireland final.

The substitutes bench remains the same too as from the off Cahill goes with four of the team that began the 2019 decider – Michael Breen, captain Ronan Maher, John McGrath and Jason Forde. Another two – Seamus Kennedy and Noel McGrath – are among the reserves.

Although there had been rumours that Mikey Butler and Martin Keoghan had picked up injuries, both are named in the Kilkenny team that shows two changes from the starting 15 from the Leinster final win over Galway.

Shane Murphy and Eoin Cody are restored to the panel with Tommy Walsh and Stephen Donnelly making way. From that 2019 final, there are six survivors – Eoin Murphy, Huw Lawlor, Paddy Deegan, John Donnelly, TJ Reid and Adrian Mullen. Billy Ryan was a used substitute in that loss.

In total, 13 of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final team are set to begin again, the changes being Shane Murphy for Walsh and Jordan Molloy for David Blanchfield.

Dublin made two changes to their named side for Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Cork.

Conor Donohoe and Darragh Power come into the team for suspended captain Chris Crummey and Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing.

Donohoe is free to play have serving a two-match suspension from a retrospective penalty following the Leinster final round defeat to Galway in Parnell Park in May, while Fingallians man Power, who was a used substitute in the quarter-final win over Limerick, comes into the forward line for Ó Dúlaing.

TIPPERARY (SHC v Kilkenny): R. Shelly, R. Doyle, E. Connolly, M. Breen; C. Morgan, R. Maher (c), B. O’Mara; W. Connors, P. McGarry; J. Morris, A. Ormond, S. O’Farrell; D. McCarthy, J. McGrath, J. Forde. 

Subs: B. Hogan, J. Caesar, S. Kenneally, S. Kennedy, B. McGrath, N. McGrath, O. O’Donoghue, J. Ryan, C. Stakelum, D. Stakelum, A. Tynan.

KILKENNY (SHC v Tipperary): E. Murphy; M. Butler, H. Lawlor, S. Murphy; M. Carey, R. Reid, P. Deegan; C. Kenny, J. Molloy; A. Mullan, J. Donnelly (c), B. Ryan; M. Keoghan, T.J. Reid, E. Cody. Subs: A. Tallis, T. Walsh, D. Blanchfield, P. Moylan, K. Doyle, Z. Bay-Hammond, F. Mackessy, S. Donnelly, L. Hogan, L. Connellan, B. Drennan.

Subs: A. Tallis, T. Walsh, D. Blanchfield, P. Moylan, K. Doyle, ZB Hammond, F. Mackessy, S. Donnelly, L. Hogan, L. Connellan, B. Drennan.

DUBLIN (SHC v Cork): S. Brennan; J. Bellew, P. Smyth, C. McHugh; P. Doyle, C. Burke (c), A. Dunphy; C. Donohoe, B. Hayes; R. McBride, F. Whitely, D. Power; S. Currie, R. Hayes, C. O’Sullivan. 

Subs: E. Gibbons, D. Burke, C. Currie, P. Dunleavy, D. Gray, J. Hetherton, A.J. Murphy, D. Lucey, P. O’Dea, D. Ó Dúlaing, C. Ó Riain.