The National League champions in both and hurling and football go straight into championship action this weekend. Tipperary's hurlers and Cork's footballers took their league campaigns very seriously and the likelihood is that both will benefit as a result.

Tipperary have made only one change in the side which beat Galway in last Sunday's National Hurling League final for their match against Kerry on Saturday evening in Thurles. Conal Bonnar is chosen at right half back in place of Brian Horgan.

Cork footballers, who play Waterford on Sunday in Dungarvan, have selected Ronan McCarthy at centre half back in place of Ronan Sexton, who damaged a hamstring in the defeat of Dublin in the league final. Don Davis replaces Padraig O'Mahony, who has a calf injury, at left half forward. Damien O'Neill is recalled and plays at full forward, with Mark O'Sullivan moving to the corner to the exclusion of Alan O'Regan.

Five players will make their championship debuts for Waterford: goalkeeper Kieran Cotter, centre half back Laurence Hurney, midfielder William Kavanagh, centre forward Colin Keane and corner forward Michael Downey.

Included in the selected lineup is David Whelan from the Sliabh gCua club at right half forward, even though it appears that he was sent off in a club match against Kilmacthomas last Sunday after being shown a red card. Considerable confusion followed the incident and players from both sides pleaded with the referee to relent. The Waterford county secretary, Seamus Grant, has been quoted locally as saying that a decision will not be made until the report of the referee is studied later today.

A vacancy has been left at right corner forward on the county side pending a fitness test on their top scorer in the National League, Anthony Fitzgerald, who has a leg injury.

An interesting aspect of the side is that no players from the two most successful Waterford clubs of recent years - Dungarvan and The Nire - are included in the side.

Kerry footballers will give three players their championship debuts in their match against Tipperary in Tralee on Sunday - Michael McCarthy at right corner back, John McGlynn at right half forward and Gerry Murphy at right corner forward.

Also included in the team is Noel Kennelly who, like McCarthy, figured in the Kerry under-21 side beaten in the All-Ireland final by Westmeath last Saturday. Kennelly featured as a substitute on the senior side last year.

Players who do not figure but were on last year's team which won the Munster title are Stephen Stack, who has retired, Eamon Fitzmaurice, who is in the list of substitutes, and Liam Flaherty and William Kirby who are also in the subs, Pa Laide and Mike Frank Russell, who are both recovering from injury, and Denis O'Dwyer, who has emigrated.

Limerick hurlers have had good news insofar as Gary Kirby and Ciaran Carey are both back in contention for places in the team to meet Waterford in the Munster championship at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday week. The pair both played in a recent challenge match against Dublin and impressed the Limerick manager, Eamon Cregan. Kirby scored a goal and eight points.