DUBLIN and the All-Ireland champions, Meath, have finalised their line-outs for Sunday's Leinster first round at Croke Park. The champions begin their first defence with one championship debutant, Nigel Nestor.

Compared to the 15 which came from nowhere to beat Dublin in last year's Leinster final, Meath have made three changes. These changes have been forced on them by injuries to a number of personnel.

Most significantly, veteran corner back Martin O'Connell misses the match and is replaced by Donal Curtis, who had a couple of championship outings last year. In front of Curtis, Nestor comes in for Paddy Reynolds who is also injured.

Ollie Murphy gets the nod at left corner forward where he replaces Barry Callaghan, who has not recovered from a long-term injury which has bedevilled him since last year. Murphy also played in last year's championship as a substitute.

Nestor was rated a genuine contender for a championship start. He played centre-field together with this year's captain John McDermott, most notably in the play-off victory over Tyrone in Clones last March when he showed excellent form.

One slight surprise is the omission of P J Gillic, a survivor from the double All-Ireland wins of the 1980s, who had been thought as a likely starter on the 40.

O'Connell was one of two survivors from the 1980s on last year's team. The other, Colm Coyle, is named in his usual position of right wing back after missing Meath's NFL campaign due to the suspension incurred after his dismissal with Liam McHale in last September's All-Ireland final replay.

Dublin have selected a team showing only two changes from the side which preceded Meath as All-Ireland champions. The changes see two debutants, Paddy Christie and Ian Robertson, come into the full back line where they take places held two years ago by Keith Galvin and Paddy Moran.

Ciaran Whelan, who made his debut in last year's Leinster final against Meath, is not ready to regain his place, as the plaster on the arm which he broke a few weeks ago has only been removed.

There are five changes from the side which lost to Meath last July. Paul Clarke and Ciaran Walsh, who were both dropped from the panel for that match, return to the first team. The entire full back line from last year is gone with Moran injured (although he played in last night's practice match), Dermot Deasy retired and Mick Deegan on the bench.

Clarke and Mick Galvin are back in the attack with Ciaran Whelan and Pat Gilroy, who played last year, both injured.

Much speculation had centred on the composition of that line.

Christie had held the full back position in recent matches but according to the selection, will play at right corner back. During the All-Ireland run of 1995, Christie had the frustration of seeing the corner back position he had filled in the run-up to the championship go to Keith Galvin as he had broken his thumb.

Robertson is a graduate of the 1994 Minor team which won Dublin's first Leinster title since 1986. At the end of that summer, he was one of two players, with Jason Sherlock, who were invited to join the senior panel then preparing for the senior All-Ireland final.

He captained that minor team from centre back but has taken longer than expected to nail down a senior place. Full back, however, is a new position for Robertson although he has played in a few central positions throughout the field. He played at full back in the practice match last night.

If he is to man the square, he will mark Brendan Reilly, although the feeling in Dublin is that Meath's All-Ireland winning captain Tommy Dowd, selected at centre forward, will move into the full forward role which he played for the county most frequently in recent years.