As expected, Kilkenny bring in Andy Comerford for Sunday's NHL semi-final against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds. It will be his first match for the county since the defeat by Galway in last year's All-Ireland semi-final and his first match of any sort since his club, O'Loughlin Gaels, lost a Leinster semi-final to eventual All-Ireland winners Birr last December.
Comerford also returns as captain, a role filled by his brother Martin in this season's league. Brian Cody and his selectors remain loyal to the bulk of the players who have got Kilkenny this far.
Comerford is the only change and he replaces Brian Dowling. But there is no room for established players John Power and Charlie Carter, both of whom have been back in training for the past six weeks.
Although substitutes have not yet been named, it is understood that they will feature in the match panel for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Limerick hurlers will wait on the fitness of corner forward and dual player Conor Fitzgerald. Should he recover from an ankle knock picked up hurling for his club Adare on Tuesday night, his inclusion will be the only change from the side that overwhelmed Clare last weekend in the quarter-final.
Fitzgerald replaces James Butler whom he substituted in that match and scored two points from play after coming on. A decision will be made later this week.
It is the first meeting of the counties in a knockout match since the same stage five years ago when they met in August - the league was played on an experimental basis during the summer in 1997 - and Limerick won easily, precipitating the departure of Nicky Brennan as Kilkenny manager after the home crowd had abused him and his brother Canice during the match. Brennan's counterpart Tom Ryan fared little better - being removed even after Limerick won the title.
Tipperary's team selection for the other semi-final against Cork has been delayed because of injuries. Aside from the confirmed absentees - John O'Brien (shattered thumb) and Eddie Enright (broken finger) - a number of others have picked up knocks. Paul Ormonde (hamstring), David Kennedy (ankle), Noel Morris (knee), Mark O'Leary (ankle) and Benny Dunne (hamstring) are all on the treatment table and the side will not be named until this evening.
Meanwhile, the Games Administration Committee of the GAA has confirmed the referees for next Sunday's NHL semi-finals.
Dickie Murphy, Wexford, will referee the Cork-Tipperary game in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. It will be Murphy's first big match since he was criticised for his performance in the Clare-Tipperary Munster championship match last June.
Pat Horan of Offaly will referee the Kilkenny-Limerick game in the Gaelic Grounds starting at 3.15 p.m..
The respective games will be preceded by the All-Ireland VS hurling semi-final between Cork and Tipperary at 1.45 p.m. and the All-Ireland Colleges Senior A football semi-final replay between St Jarlath's, Tuam and Colaiste na Sceilige at 1.30 p.m..
Admission to both games will be €10 cash at the stiles for both stands and terraces on a first-come, firstserved basis. Senior citizens will be admitted for €4 and children up to 14 years of age will be admitted free.
It has also emerged that GAC requests for clarified action in relation to a couple of matters have been deferred. Last Friday at Congress one of them was discussed at Central Council. This relates to the power of the GAC to review match decisions where a referee has shown a yellow card in an incident where a red may have been more appropriate. At present, precedent rules that the referee's action will not be revisited.
The other issue concerns the recent trend of players diving or seeking to win frees or have opponents yellow-or red-carded.
The GAC had enquired into the possibility of an offence of unsporting behaviour being introduced. The matter was being pursued, but, after consultations with Jarlath Burns, chairman of the Players' Committee, it was decided to postpone further action until Burns had had a chance to make representations to players on the subject.
This is also something dealt with in the report of Strategic Review Committee, which proposes the introduction of a similar offence.
But, by the time the special congress meets in October to consider the SRC report, it should be fairly clear what action needs to be taken.
LIMERICK: J Quaid; D Reale, TJ Ryan, S McDonagh; P Lawlor, B Geary, M Foley; C Carey, S Lucey; O Moran, S O'Connor, B Foley; C Fitzgerald, B Begley, M Keane.
KILKENNY: J McGarry; M Kavanagh, N Hickey, P Larkin; R Mullally, P Barry, JJ Delaney; P Tennyson, D Lyng; J Hoyne, H Shefflin, A Comerford; E Brennan, M Comerford, S Grehan.
