National Hurling League: Back by popular demand, Limerick and Tipperary will this Sunday stage a mini-rerun of last summer's hurling blockbuster - the three-game epic that lasted a nail-biting four hours and 10 minutes, plus injury-time. Limerick, against the odds, eventually prevailed.

Although there's a lot less at stake - the second round of the league as distinct from a place in the Munster final - it's rightly being billed as match of the day in division one (and is live from Thurles on TG4 at 2.30).

For Limerick, last summer's victory marked a turning point not just in their season but in the careers of some of their players.

Forward Andrew O'Shaughnessy, the underage prodigy who had long-since graduated to the senior ranks, had never actually won a senior Munster championship match with Limerick, so beating Tipperary was at least one monkey off his back.

"It certainly kick-started our season anyway," he says. "We made that our goal at the start of the year, to win our first-round match in the championship, given we hadn't won one in six years. And the fact that we did come out after the three games meant a lot to us. Certainly mentally, it meant a lot.

"But we didn't really harp on about it either. Once we beat Tipp we put that game behind us. I mean it was a nice thing to do, but you don't want to be going 10 points down in every game you play. That was probably a once-off - you might never come back from that again.

"So we just took each game as it came. But while we didn't refer back to that game as a group, individually we probably did, because as I say it did give us great confidence."

O'Shaughnessy, however, doesn't see last summer's contests bringing any extra edge to Sunday's game. The two counties have always had enough rivalry as it is.

"Not particularly, because I mean we met Tipperary enough times over the last couple of years anyway," he says.

"It's just about putting in another good performance, more than anything else. Once you do that the result will take care of itself.

"We had a good win against Laois last Sunday, but then we were very rusty in the first half. It was actually our first game against a county team since the All-Ireland final . . . it was good to come out with the win."

He was a central character in those games last summer (hitting a consistent 0-6 in all three), and he posted 2-6 against Laois last Sunday - though he was well supported by his fellow corner forward, Pat Tobin, who scored 1-7.

"I think we always had a good group of forwards there. Everyone is doing their bit. The only reason I seem to get the few extra is that I'm taking frees . . . you always need other good forwards around you."

Though his is still only 23, it seems he's been around forever ("Feels like it too," he quips) and as manager Richie Bennis has now stated, it's time for the Limerick seniors to be winning some silverware.

"Ask any county player and he will say the same thing - everyone wants to win silverware . . .. We go out to win every game, and that's the same mindset for the league."

O'Shaughnessy is once again named at right corner forward for Sunday's game, despite being on Fitzgibbon Cup duty yesterday with GMIT, although Bennis has brought in five new players for the trip to Thurles: goalkeeper David Bulfin, Maurice O'Brien in defence, midfielder Wayne McNamara, Hugh Flavin at centre forward and Paudie Brown at full forward.

Elsewhere, the Galway manager Ger Loughnane has made just two changes from last weekend's win over Clare for the trip to Offaly. Conor Dervan is named at corner back, with Alan Gaynor dropping to the bench, and Kerril Wade is brought into the half-forward line, Niall Healy making way.

In contrast, Mike McNamara has made several changes for Clare's meeting with Laois, the experienced Colin Lynch and Tony Carmody making long-awaited returns at midfield and wing forward.

Fergal Lynch also returns, to the forward line, while Diarmuid Clancy moves to full back, and Conor Plunkett and James McInerney are drafted into the half-back line.

Wexford, who surprised the league champions, Waterford, last Sunday, have announced the same team for their meeting with Antrim at Casement Park.

CLARE (SH v Laois):P Brennan; T Keogh, D Clancy, F Lohan; J McInerney, C Plunkett, G Quinn; C Lynch, B O'Connell; J Clancy, D O'Rourke, T Carmody; N Gilligan, F Lynch, M Flaherty.

WEXFORD (SH v Antrim):D Flynn; M Travers, K Rossiter, P Roche; R Kehoe, W Doran, D Lyng; M Jacob, J O'Connor; J Breen, E Quigley, S Nolan; MJ Furlong, D O'Connor, R Jacob.

GALWAY (SH v Offaly):J Skehill; D Joyce, T Óg Regan, C Dervan; G Mahon, J Lee, A Keary; A Cullinane, K Hynes; A Kerins, D Forde, K Wade; G Farragher, I Tannian, A Callanan.

LIMERICK (SH v Tipperary):D Bulfin; M O'Riordan, S Lucey, S Hickey; M O'Brien, P O'Dwyer, D Clancy; D O'Grady, W McNamara; S Lavin, H Flavin, A O'Connor; A O'Shaughnessy, P Brown, P Tobin.