Galway have recalled four of the players rested for the final National Hurling League divisional match against Limerick. Nigel Shaughnessy, Paul Hardiman, Ronan Walsh and Mark Kerins all return for Sunday's League semi-final against Kilkenny at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.
Of the four players replaced, Francis Forde has injury problems after getting a crack on the jaw during the Limerick match.
His place in the full forward line goes to Kerins whose brother Alan also lines out, at right wing forward.
"It will be a big test," says Galway manager Mattie Murphy. "Kilkenny are All-Ireland finalists and Leinster champions and have come through a much more competitive section (of the league) than we have. Our target was to get to the knockout stages so anything after this will be a bonus for us.
"Naturally we would like to take another step. We realise we have a lot of new fellas at this level and after Sunday they'll know they've been in a contest."
Three years ago, Galway won the National League beating Tipperary in the final at Limerick. Despite appearing well placed for the coming championship, they were beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by eventual winners Wexford who they had defeated in the league semi-final the previous April.
Murphy was manager that season and takes issue with the notion that Galway had a poor championship. "I think in hindsight it wasn't that bad a display. We missed quite a number of frees and let in a bad goal. If you look back on the video, you can see that there wasn't that much in it."
Sunday's team shows a staggering number of changes to the side which won the 1996 league final. Only four players will have started both matches - Liam Burke, Nigel Shaughnessy, Cathal Moore and Kevin Broderick. Padraig Kelly came on that day as a substitute.
Murphy remains unsure about the usefulness of the campaign to date. "Ground conditions haven't been great and we've played a couple of games in weather that hasn't helped us judge the team."
He also believes that the venue will help maximise the Galway crowd on Sunday. "Interest has picked up and the fact that the ground is only between 40 and 60 miles away will tempt a few to go to along."
Meanwhile, Tipperary recall Declan Ryan after injury-enforced absence to centre forward for the second semi-final against Clare. He replaces Ger Maguire who picked up an injury in the last league match against Waterford.
Paul Ormonde, who has a broken arm, is replaced at wing forward by Brian O'Meara. In defence, David Kennedy returns at centre back and Conor Gleesonreverts to the bench. Declan Browne's position has been resolved in favour of the county hurlers and he will line out at left corner forward rather than play for Munster in the Railway Cup football final.
Opponents Clare unsurprisingly make 13 changes to the shadow side which drew with Dublin in the final divisional match last Sunday week. Only goalkeeper David Fitzgerald retains his position but Enda Flannery is named at right corner back - a switch from the right wing of the defence.
Niall Gilligan's suspension, picked up in the match against Offaly, runs out on Saturday night so he is eligible to play and lines out at centre forward. The team shows only four changes from the side beaten by Offaly in last August's All-Ireland semi-final replay refixture and, given the Colin Lynch suspension, only three off what was regarded as the county's strongest line-up last summer.
To celebrate the memory of Shane McGettigan, the Leitrim footballer who died in a construction accident in Boston last summer, his club Allen Gaels has decided to rename its pitch in Drumshanbo Shane McGettigan Park.
John O'Mahony, manager of All-Ireland champions Galway and a former Leitrim senior and under-21 manager who trained Shane McGettigan, will unveil a special memorial to the player next Monday at 3.15. The memorial is made of Leitrim stone, features the new club crest conceived by club member Eoin MacHale and was designed by members of the club and Joey Smith of Ballinamore.
The day will feature two challenge matches.
All-Ireland finalists Ballina Stephenites will play Allen Gaels at 1.45 and after the unveiling ceremony, Galway will play Leitrim at 4.0.
