Team news: TJ in for Cats, McCarthy on Tipp bench, Kelly starts for Clare, Walsh gets Cork nod

The teams are coming in for this weekend's hurling championship throw-in

Darragh McCarthy of Tipperary. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Darragh McCarthy is not in the Tipperary team named to face Cork in Sunday’s Munster SHC opener in FBD Semple Stadium.

The Toomevara man along with last year’s U20 All-Ireland winning captain Sam O’Farrell are among the substitutes. 

They are the only two changes from the side that began last year’s All-Ireland victory over their provincial neighbours.

U20 captain Oisín O’Donoghue is selected in the half-back line alongside captain Ronan Maher and Bryan O’Mara. Up front, Stefan Tobin is set to make his championship debut in the full-forward line.

Meanwhile, Tony Kelly and Adam Hogan have been announced to start for Clare in Sunday’s clash with Waterford in Ennis.

READY TO GO: Tony Kelly of Clare in action against Dublin in the league. Pic: ©INPHO/Natasha Barton

Banner captain Kelly and 2024 young hurler of the year Hogan missed the recent Division 1B final win over Dublin but are included, although Shane O’Donnell has been listed as a substitute.

O’Donnell came off at half-time in Limerick last Sunday week and is one of three omissions from the Dublin fixture. Hogan replaces Conor Leen and Kelly and Seán Rynne replace David Fitzgerald and O’Donnell.

Ten of the 2024 All-Ireland final winning starting side are included. Missing are Leen, John Conlon, David McInerney, Fitzgerald and Aidan McCarthy. Leen, Conlon and Fitzgerald are named on the bench.

Despite picking up an injury against Dublin, man of the match Mark Rodgers has been named to start.

Elsewhere, Galway go with 10 of the side that began the final round Division 1A defeat to Limerick for tomorrow’s Leinster SHC opener against Kilkenny in Salthill.

Four players are set to make their senior championship debuts – Cillian Trayers, Cian Daniels, Aaron Niland and Jason Rabbitte.

Kilkenny’s Mikey Carey has recovered from a hamstring injury to be chosen at full-back for the game in Salthill. As he chases down Patrick Horgan’s all-time championship scoring record, TJ Reid captains The Cats. The Ballyhale Shamrocks man is currently 21 points behind.

The Cork team named on Thursday evening to face Tipperary in Thurles on Sunday features 12 of the side that began last July’s All-Ireland final.

As expected, U20 starlet Barry Walsh is included in the team as is Seán O’Donoghue despite the hamstring injury he sustained in the Division 1A final defeat to Limerick earlier this month.

Mark Coleman is restored to the starting 15, replacing Micheál Mullins who is not in the squad. Also missing are Declan Dalton and Shane Kingston.

Seamus Harnedy is the other absentee from the team that commenced the Division 1A decider but the St Ita’s veteran is in the 26.

Diarmuid Healy has recovered from the quad injury that threatened to rule him out of the opening games of the provincial championship.

Of the 2025 All-Ireland final team, Dalton, Healy and the retired Patrick Horgan are the changes. Walsh and William Buckley are set to make their senior championship debuts.

TIPPERARY (SHC v Cork): R. Shelly; R. Doyle, E. Connolly, M. Breen; O. O’Donoghue, R. Maher (c), B. O’Mara; W. Connors, C. Morgan; J. Morris, A. Ormond, C. Stakelum; S. Tobin, J. McGrath, J. Forde. Subs: B. Hogan, S. Kennedy, D. McCarthy, P. McGarry, B. McGrath, N. McGrath, S. O’Farrell, J. Ryan, K. Ryan, D. Stakelum, A. Tynan.

CORK (SHC v Tipperary): P. Collins; N. O’Leary, C. Joyce, S. O’Donoghue; E. Downey, R. Downey, M. Coleman; T. O’Mahony, T. O’Connell; D. Fitzgibbon (c), S. Barrett, B. Walsh; W. Buckley, A. Connolly, B. Hayes. Subs: P. O’Sullivan, D. Cahalane, G. Millerick, C. O’Brien, E. Twomey, H. O’Connor, D. Healy, R. O’Flynn, S. Harnedy, P. Power, A. Walsh.

CLARE (SHC v Waterford): E. Quilligan; R. Hayes, C. Cleary, A. Hogan; D. Ryan, N. O’Farrell, C. Malone; D. Lohan, T. Kelly (c); P. Duggan, R. Taylor, S. Rynne, S. Meehan, M. Rodgers, D. Reidy. Subs: E. Foudy, J. Conlon, S. O’Donnell, R. Kilroy, C. Galvin, K. O’Neill, D. Stritch, D. Fitzgerald, I. Galvin, C. Leen, S. Dunford.

GALWAY (SHC v Kilkenny): D. Fahy; R. Glennon, C. Trayers, D. Morrissey (c); P. Mannion, D. Burke, G. Lee; C. Daniels, T. Killeen; R. Burke, C. Mannion, J. Fleming; J. Rabbitte, C. Whelan, A. Niland. Subs: E. Murphy, K. Hanrahan, S. Morgan, S. Linnane, C. Fahy. TJ Brennan, D. Neary, T. Monaghan, C. Molloy, C. Cooney, E. Niland.

KILKENNY (SHC v Galway): A. Tallis; M. Butler, M. Carey, P. Deegan; D. Blanchfield, D. Corcoran, R. Reid; C. Kenny, J. Molloy; L. Moore, J. Donnelly, T. Phelan; M. Keoghan, TJ Reid (c), E. Cody. Subs: E. Murphy, I. Bolger, R. Garrett, S. Murphy, K. Doyle, C. Beirne, T. Clifford, G. Dunne, S. Donnelly, E. McDermott, L. Hogan.