Tipp call on O'Brien, Maher and Scroope

HOLDERS TIPPERARY have made three changes for the big National Hurling League fixture of the weekend, as they travel to take on All-Ireland champions Kilkenny in Nowlan Park. Conor O’Brien, Brendan Maher and Tony Scroope are included instead of Paddy Stapleton, Thomas Stapleton and captain Willie Ryan.

Liam Sheedy’s team have made a good start to the season with three wins from three matches, whereas Kilkenny have lost to Waterford. When the counties met in last season’s league semi-finals, Tipperary came out on top before going on to defeat Galway in the final.

Meanwhile, Dublin also show three changes to the NFL side that lost to Derry last weekend for the trip to Mayo this weekend.

Into the team come Michael Savage, the St Vincent’s goalkeeper making his debut while Stephen Cluxton is rested, Bryan Cullen and Declan Lally.

Cullen, who will fill the rotating role of captain for the critical Division One fixture, which will have a major influence on the battle to avoid relegation, replaces James Brogan at right wing back, whereas Lally comes in at wing forward for corner back Paddy Andrews, who wasn’t considered due to under-21 duty tomorrow, with David Henry dropping back from the half-forwards where he has been re-deployed this season.

Team management was keen to play down reports that Jason Sherlock, the last survivor of the 1995 All-Ireland success, had left the panel to concentrate on club football with St Oliver Plunkett’s.

According to a team spokesperson Sherlock remains very much part of manager Pat Gilroy’s plans and there is no reason why he wouldn’t be named amongst the replacements for Sunday when the bench is finalised.

Sherlock was visibly unhappy at being left among the replacements during last week’s defeat by Derry.

Players from new All-Ireland club champions Kilmacud Crokes were not considered for this weekend’s match.

Cork, jointly leading Division Two with Kildare, make four changes for the match against last year’s other All-Ireland semi-finalists Wexford, whose NFL campaign to date has gone in the opposite direction.

Kevin Murphy gets a run in goal ahead of Alan Quirke, Kieran O’Connor comes in for Noel Donovan, former All Star Ger Spillane lines out at right wing back instead of Noel O’Leary, Paul Kerrigan is in for Conor McCarthy and finally, Daniel Goulding indirectly replaces Pearse O’Neill, as manager Conor Counihan sticks to his policy of thoroughly rotating his selection.

Wexford for their part make a restrained three changes as Jason Ryan tries to pull his team out of the tail spin they’ve hit this season.

Former Footballer of the Year Matty Forde is back after injury, Thomas Howlin who came in as a replacement during last week’s defeat by Meath, and Adrian Flynn are called in and Brian Malone reverts to defence after starting in the forwards last week.

In the National Hurling League Clare manager Michael McNamara has made three changes in personnel from the starting team against Tipperary for the visit of the reconstituted Cork.

Experienced pair Niall Gilligan and Alan Markham have been dropped along with Enda Barrett.

Captain Brian O’Connell starts his first game of the year at midfield, while Inagh’s Ger Arthur, who was not part of the matchday panel for the Tipp game, is drafted in for a first league outing in 2009 as part of a revamped full-forward line and Conor McMahon is introduced at right corner back, allowing Pat Vaughan to switch to midfield alongside O’Connell.

Against Tipperary, Jonathan Clancy and Barrett played at midfield, but on this occasion Clancy is moved to left half forward and elsewhere, Colin Ryan moves from the left wing to the left corner. The half-back line is the only line of the field untouched by McNamara, who is without Colin Lynch and Tony Carmody due to injury.

DUBLIN(NFL v Mayo): M Savage; Henry, Bastic, Hubbard; Cullen (capt), Brennan, Cahill; Whelan, McConnell; Connolly, Bonner, Lally; Kelly, Keaney, B Brogan.

TYRONE(NFL v Donegal): J Devine, PJ Quinn, C Gormley, C Gourley, D Harte, S O'Neill, P Jordan, K Hughes, C Holmes, C Cavanagh, O Mulligan, T McGuigan, C McCullagh, S Cavanagh, A Cassidy.

CORK(NFL v Wexford): K Murphy; K O'Connor, R Carey, A Lynch; G Spillane, G Canty, M Shields; A O'Connor, N Murphy; J Hayes, P Kerrigan, P O'Flynn; D Goulding, M Cussen, D O'Connor.

WEXFORD(NFL): A Masterson; D Carter, P Wallace, B Malone; C Morris (capt.), D Murphy, A Doyle; B Doyle, E Bradley; PJ Banville, S Cullen, A Flynn; C Lyng, T Howlin, M Forde.

DERRY(NFL v Galway): J Deighan; K McCloy, N McCusker, R Dillon; P Cartin, B McGoldrick, S Leo McGoldrick; Patsy Bradley, E Muldoon; P Young, P Murphy, B Mullan; Paddy Bradley, E Bradley, B McGuigan.

GALWAY(NFL v Derry): A Faherty; N Coyne, F Hanley, D Burke; G Sice, D Blake, D Mullahy; J Bergin, B Cullinane; S Armstrong, P Joyce, D Dunleavy; P Conroy, M Meehan, C Bane.

CORK(U21 FC v Waterford): D Farry; S McLouglan, J O'Sullivan, N Galvin; C O'Driscoll, B Daly, D O'Sullivan; C O'Donovan, K O'Driscoll; C Sheehan, S McCarthy, C O'Driscoll; C O'Neill, D Goold, P Honahan.

TIPPERARY(U21 FC v Clare): M O'Donnell; D Buckley, C McDonald, S Mullins; C Aylward, J Coghlan, B Fox; B Jones, P Acheson; A Moloney, J Cagney, S Carey; T Dalton, D Burns, B Quinn.

TIPPERARY(NHL v Kilkenny): B Cummins; C O'Brien, D Fanning, P Curran; B Dunne, C O'Mahony, D Fitzgerald; B Maher, S McGrath; N McGrath, S Callanan, J Woodlock; T Scroope, J O'Brien, P Kelly.

CLARE(NHL v Cork): P Brennan; C McMahon, C Dillon, G O'Grady; B Bugler, G Quinn, P Donnellan; B O'Connell, P Vaughan; T Griffin, D McMahon, J Clancy; G Arthur, B Nugent, C Ryan.

DERRY(NHL v Kildare): D McDaid; R McCloskey, C Quinn, S McCullagh; P McGlade, S Henry, M Craig; O McCloskey, S McNicholl; B Dodds, P McCloskey, S Dodds; K Hinphey, R Convery, M Kirkpatrick.