Tipperary start with two debutants

TIPPERARY HAVE named two debutants for Sunday’s big Munster hurling semi-final against Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Séamus Callinan and Conor O’Brien get their first starts, at centre forward and left corner back respectively.

Callinan is a slight surprise in that his role during the county’s successful National Hurling League campaign was established as an impact replacement but he has impressed during the championship preparations and gets his chance ahead of the experienced Benny Dunne, in the only change from the team that won the league final against Galway in April.

The consequent adjustments see James Woodlock replace Dunne at centrefield, Ryan O’Dwyer move into the latter’s place on the wing and facilitating Callinan’s selection on the 40.

Manager Liam Sheedy’s first championship selection shows a staggering eight changes from the side that lined out against Cork in last year’s All-Ireland qualifier group match in Thurles. Among those replaced are the current All Star full back Declan Fanning and four out of the six forwards who started last July’s match. Dunne, who captained the side, is one and the others are Darragh Hickey, Francis Devanney and Micheál Webster.

In Ulster, Brian McGuigan will make his first championship appearance for Tyrone since the 2005 All-Ireland win over Kerry when he starts against Down in Sunday’s football championship match with Down.

McGuigan, now recovered from a catalogue of career-threatening injuries, lines out in the familiar position of centre forward. There is also a return for captain Brian Dooher, who also starts in the half forward line, having missed the entire league because of injury.

These welcome returns are tempered by the absence of Owen Mulligan and Raymond Mulgrew, ruled out by hamstring and shoulder injuries respectively.

There is just one debutant in an experienced side, with Justin McMahon, at full back, making his senior championship debut. Damien McCaul starts at corner back.

Seán Cavanagh is fit, following an injury scare, to take his place at centre field alongside Colin Holmes. The versatile Enda McGinley, who played at midfield during the league, returns to the half-forward line. Colm Cavanagh plays at full forward, flanked by Martin Penrose and Colm McCullagh.

Down manager Ross Carr has named Benny Coulter at left corner forward for this clash. Midfielder Dan Gordon captains the team.

In Leinster, Westmeath manager Tomás Ó Flatharta has named an unchanged side for the trip to Tullamore to face Offaly. That means Dessie Dolan will line out at left corner forward, where he started as a late replacement for Dermott Bannon in the opening championship match with Longford last month.

Centrefielder David Duffy, who came on a replacement the last day, is fit again and named on the bench.

TIPPERARY (SH v Cork): B Cummins; E Buckley, P Curran, C O’Brien; E Corcoran, C O’Mahony, S Maher; J Woodlock, S McGrath; S Butler, S Callinan, R O’Dwyer; E Kelly, L Corbett, W Ryan.

TYRONE (SF v Down): P McConnell, R McMenamin, J McMahon, D McCaul, D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan, C Holmes, S Cavanagh, B Dooher, B McGuigan, E McGinley, M Penrose, C Cavanagh, C McCullagh.

DOWN (SF v Tyrone): B McVeigh; L Howard, M Cole, C Murney; A Carr, L Doyle, D Rafferty; D Gordon (Captain), J Lynch; J Fegan, R Murtagh, D Hughes; J Clarke, R Sexton, B Coulter.

WESTMEATH (SF v Offaly): G Connaughton; F Boyle, K Gavin, J Keane; M Ennis, D Heavin, D Healy; M Flanagan, D O’Donoghue; F Wilson, J Smyth, D Harte; A Mangan, D Glennon, D Dolan. Subs: C Mullen, D Duffy, D Bannon, P Bannon, D Glennon, M Gorman, M Green, D Kelly, P Leavy, W Murtagh, F Reilly, P Tormey, D McGuinness, N Kilcoyne.