Mayo have compensated for the loss of Pat Fallon through injury by moving veteran Liam McHale to midfield for their Connacht championship clash with Galway at McHale Park in Castlebar on Sunday. Mayo have left out experienced players such as Pat Holmes, Kevin O'Neill and Ray Dempsey, although all three are included in the list of substitutes.
Included in the side is full back Kevin Cahill, who will be playing his first really important match for just a year.
Offaly have made two changes to their side from the team which won the National League title for their Leinster football championship match against Meath in Croke Park on Sunday. Barry Malone comes in at left corner back for David Foley and Sean Grennan comes in at centre forward.
Meath call up one newcomer to championship fare for the match. Raymond Magee comes into the side at right corner forward in a fairly predictable line-up. Also included is Barry Callaghan at centre half back.
There was something of a scare yesterday when it was learned that Callaghan had damaged a finger on his right hand in an industrial accident during the day. However, he took part in a training session last night with a heavily-bandaged hand and was included in the side when it was announced late last night.
Donegal have decided to give five players their first experience of championship football for their visit to Casement Park for their Ulster championship match against Antrim. Three of the newcomers will be in crucial positions in the defence. They are Noel McGinley at right corner back, Ray Sweeney at full back and Martin Coll at centre back.
The other newcomers to the championship are Shane Carr at right half forward and Brian Devenney at left corner forward. A significant selection is that of Noel Hegarty at midfield where he will partner Jim McGuinness.
Antrim have named seven championship debutants in their side. Goalkeeper Donard Shannon, full back Eddie McCorry, wing back Darren Swail, midfielder James Murphy, wing forward Joe Quinn and corner forwards, Kevin Brady and Kevin Madden will all be experiencing their first championship outing. Waterford have replaced left corner back, Mark O'Sullivan, for Sunday's first round Munster hurling championship clash with Kerry in Tralee.
Into the side comes the former Tipperary minor and under-21 player, Brian Flannery, who played with the Kildangan club in Tipperary but who moved to work and live in Waterford more than a year ago. He now plays his club hurling with Mount Sion.
The move suggests that O'Sullivan has received most of the blame for the two Cork goals in last Sunday's National League final defeat in Thurles. Many will regard that as a harsh judgment, given that O'Sullivan played a highly-important part in curbing the Cork attack, particularly in the first half.
Waterford seem determined to put last Sunday's defeat by Cork behind them with a match against Tipperary in the Munster semi-final as their immediate goal.
Should they beat Kerry and qualify to meet Tipperary and then beat them it would put them into the Munster final and that in itself would put them into the All-Ireland quarter-final under the dispensation which gives the defeated finalists in Munster and Leinster a second chance.
Offaly's hurling selectors have named three newcomers to championship fare for the Leinster championship match against Meath in Croke Park. Into the side come goalkeeper Stephen Byrne, right corner back Barry Whelahan and Mark Hand at left half forward. Meath will field an experimental side. They had a miserable time in the National League and have drafted in goalkeeper Brian Carley, corner back Paudie Guy, wing back Joey O'Loughin, midfielder Thomas Reilly, wing forward Ger O'Neill and full forwards, Dan Dorran and Donal Fitzsimmons.
