Holders Kilkenny will be significantly under-strength for Sunday's Division 1A match against Clare in Nowlan Park. Hurler of the Year Richie Hogan, who has been shouldering much of the scoring burden in a team missing the Ballyhale players, tied up in the club's All-Ireland success, is rested for this weekend because of fears over a hamstring strain.
With the All-Ireland champions definitely involved in a relegation play-off in a week's time, manager Brian Cody has also rested Cillian Buckley, who took a knock in last week's defeat by Tipperary.
Tomás Keogh and Willie Phelan come into the defence as wing backs in place of Buckley and Lester Ryan, who is another not named in the match panel. Brian Kennedy switches to centrefield where he will be joined by Joe Lyng, who comes in for Ger Aylward with Mark Kelly moving to forwards.
Kevin Kelly, who replaced Aylward at half-time in Thurles also starts instead of Hogan. John Power moves to centre forward. The only Ballyhale player named is Richie Reid as replacement goalkeeper but the rest of his club-mates are expected to return next week.
Opponents Clare have a chance of making the quarter-finals and avoiding the relegation play-off should they win and Dublin lose to Galway. Otherwise they will face Kilkenny again at a neutral venue next weekend.
Dublin also make changes and will be without Danny Sutcliffe, who apparently picked up a knock against Clare and was taken off in the dying minutes in Cusack Park.
Conal Keaney, Simon Lambert and Eamonn Dillon will start the county's crucial match against Galway at Parnell Park on Sunday. Keaney replaces Michael Carton, who was also substituted against Clare. Lambert takes over from Cian Boland at centrefield and Dillon comes in for Sutcliffe.
Tipperary manager Eamon O’Shea has made five changes from the big win over Kilkenny for the trip to Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday to play Cork. Darragh Egan takes over from All Star Darren Gleeson, who he replaced at the end of the Kilkenny match. Paddy Stapleton and Conor O’Brien, an early substitute against Kilkenny, are both in for Michael Breen and Paul Curran.
Shane McGrath and Thomas Stapleton are the others to come in, replacing James Woodlock and Ronan Maher
In Division 1B Waterford manager Derek McGrath gives a vote of confidence to the team that recorded a big win over Antrim last week, for the crucial promotion fixture against Wexford tomorrow.
KILKENNY (AHL v Clare): E Murphy; S Prendergast, P Murphy, J Tyrrell; T Keogh, K Joyce, W Phelan; J Lyng, B Kennedy; W Walsh, J Power, M Ruth; J Farrell, K Kelly, M Kelly. Subs: R Reid, P Gahan, G Brennan, B Staunton, R Lennon, C O'Shea, K Hogan, G Aylward, G Malone, C Bolger.
DUBLIN (AHL v Galway): A Nolan; C O'Callaghan, S Barrett, P Schutte; C Crummey, P Kelly, C Keaney; S Lambert, S Durkin; C Cronin, E Dillon, M Schutte; D O'Callaghan, L Rushe, P Ryan.
TIPPERARY (AHL v Cork): D Egan; P Stapleton, C O'Mahony, C O'Brien; C Barrett, Pádraic Maher, K Bergin; S McGrath, T Stapleton; N McGrath, B Maher (capt.), J Forde; J O'Dwyer, S Callanan, N O'Meara.
WATERFORD (AHL v Wexford): S O'Keeffe; S Fives, B Coughlan, N Connors; T de Búrca, S O'Sullivan, Philip Mahony; J Barron, T Devine; K Moran, Pauric Mahony, J Dillon; B O'Halloran, M Walsh, M Kearney.
