Kilkenny have brought in two players for tomorrow's All-Ireland final against champions Cork. Michael Kavanagh comes in for the injured JJ Delaney in defence whereas fit again Richie Power returns to the attack in place of Michael Rice, reports Seán Moran.

Delaney, who was Hurler of the Year in 2003, will be a big loss to the Leinster champions but Kavanagh is the most experienced player on the panel and has a wealth of All-Ireland experience although he struggled on Cork's Joe Deane in the final two years ago.

Power hasn't started for the team since last spring but would have been a first-choice had injury not intervened. Having came on during the semi-final win over Clare and shown no ill effects, he was always going to get the nod this weekend with Rice the player to lose out.

The configuration of the team wasn't universally expected but that will hardly make much difference, given the recent enthusiasm of Brian Cody and his management for departing from their established practice and naming dummy teams, which they have done in the past two matches against Clare and Galway.

In any event the forwards rotate during matches and it is expected that Henry Shefflin will do duty at full forward as well as on the 40 where he is named.

Eddie Brennan has had a good year playing as a ball-winning wing forward but finds himself, according to selection, in the corner where he has struggled in previous All-Irelands.

This switch could be because of the failure to unearth another specialist right corner forward or because the immensely promising Power is a more natural half forward.

Tommy Walsh is named at left wing back where he has played marvellously this season but it is believed that he will be required in the full-back line, where he switched in the semi-final and has played in recent training matches.