Limerick make two changes for All-Ireland final, Galway stick with same 15

Ronan Glennon and Aaron Niland of Galway celebrate the semi-final win. Pic  ©INPHO/James Lawlor

Limerick have made two changes to their All-Ireland semi-final team for Sunday’s final against Galway, while Galway’s named team shows no changes from the side that began the handsome win over Cork.

Captain Cian Lynch has been restored to the 15 in place of Darragh O’Donovan and Mike Casey comes in at full-back for Dan Morrissey having replaced him against Clare.

It’s the first time John Kiely has made changes to a team from an All-Ireland semi-final. Both O’Donovan and Morrissey were replaced last Sunday week.

It means Limerick have four All-Ireland winning starters on the substitutes bench on Sunday – the Morrissey brothers, Darragh O’Donovan and David Reidy.

For Galway, Aaron Niland was replaced in the 47th minute of that nine-point win but is set to retain his place, although Rory Burke has been unable to recover from his hamstring injury to make the panel.

The entire matchday squad is the same as last Saturday week and there are four survivors from the 2018 All-Ireland final defeat to Limerick – Pádraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Cathal Mannion and Conor Whelan. Conor Cooney is named on the bench.

Limerick have nine starters from that game eight years ago while another three are among the substitutes and Peter Casey and William O’Donoghue, who came off the bench that day, start this weekend.

LIMERICK (SHC v Galway): N. Quaid; S. Finn, M. Casey, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, W. O’Donoghue, K. Hayes; A. English, C. Lynch; G. Hegarty, A. O’Connor, C. O’Neill; A. Gillane, S. O’Brien, P. Casey. Subs: C. Ryan, C. Coughlan, F. Fitzgerald, M. Fitzgerald, H. Flanagan, E. Hurley, D. Langan, D. Morrissey, T. Morrissey, D. O’Donovan, D. Reidy.

GALWAY (SHC v Limerick): D. Fahy; J. Ryan, C. Trayers, D. Morrissey (c); P. Mannion, D. Burke, R. Glennon; T. Killeen, G. Lee; T. Monaghan, P. Mannion, D. Neary; Conor Whelan, J. Rabbitte, A. Niland. Subs: E. Murphy, S. Morgan, F. Burke, C. Daniels, C. Fahy, C. Cooney, J. Fleming, S. Linnane, Cillian Whelan, C. Molloy, B. Concannon.