GAA:THERE ARE two changes in the Waterford team for Sunday's All-Ireland hurling quarter-final against Wexford in Semple Stadium, although not exactly the changes that were anticipated.
Manager Davy Fitzgerald has decided to persist with Ken McGrath at full back and also with Dan Shanahan in the half forward line, despite strong speculation they'd at least be switched around.
McGrath still looks unsettled since moving to full back, while Shanahan's form of late has been very poor, particularly in last Saturday's qualifier win over Offaly, where he didn't even manage a scoring attempt.
Instead, Fitzgerald has replaced left wing back Jack Kennedy with Bryan Phelan, while centre forward Garry Hurney is indirectly replaced by Stephen Molumphy, who is named at left half forward. Both such switches were in fact made in the second half of the Offaly match, meaning Phelan and Molumphy this time start where they finished off.
Paul Flynn and Dave Bennett, both late replacements the last day, remain amongst the substitutes, while Eoin Kelly - scorer of that massive 2-13 against Offaly - lines out in the full forward line alongside Eoin McGrath and John Mullane.
Wexford will finalise their team this evening, and while Stephen Nolan and Barry Lambert are back in contention to play some role after recent injury, Keith Rossiter, Ciaran Kenny, John O'Connor and MJ Furlong are among those still missing through injury.
Clare meet Cork in Sunday's other quarter-final at Semple Stadium, and manager Mike McNamara has also made two changes from the Munster final defeat to Tipperary. As expected, Brendan Bugler returns from suspension and is named at right half back, an indirect replacement for Conor Plunkett, who drops to the bench.
Barry Nugent is also called into a forward line that shows several positional switches. Young free-taker Mark Flaherty is the player to miss out, as Nugent is named in a full forward line alongside Tony Griffin and Niall Gilligan, with the half forward line now consisting of Tony Carmody, Diarmuid McMahon and Jonathan Clancy.
In football, Armagh manager Peter McDonnell has announced an unchanged team for Sunday's Ulster final replay against Fermanagh at Clones.
There was speculation that Oisín McConville would come back into the starting 15, but he has once again been kept in reserve. Fermanagh are due to announce their team today, with manager Malachy O'Rourke also likely to stick with the same 15.
Kildare have made just one change for tomorrow's second round qualifier against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds. Defender Mark Scanlon is selected at left half-back, with Kevin O'Neill reverting to full back in place of Damien Hendy.
Scanlon's call-up comes as something as a surprise given the availability of under-21 captain Gary White, who was suspended for the first round victory over Cavan. However, manager Kieran McGeeney has kept White in reserve, along with the long-serving Anthony Rainbow, who was dropped for the Cavan game and has failed to win back his place.
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has kept faith with the team that eased past Louth last Saturday for their second round meeting with Westmeath in Omagh. This means Seán Cavanagh is once again named at full forward alongside Martin Penrose and Colm McCullagh, with both Brian and Tommy McGuigan in the half forward line with team captain Brian Dooher.
Laois make four changes for their qualifier against Down from the team that beat Longford last week, as Pádraig Clancy, Billy Sheehan, Colm Kelly and Joe Higgins all come back into the starting line-up with Ross Munnelly, Cathal Ryan, John O'Loughlin and MJ Tierney missing out.
The GAA has confirmed their notification from the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) that following its arbitration in respect of Paul Galvin's appeal to a six month suspension imposed by the Central Hearings Committee (CHC), it has directed that the original decision of the CHC be set aside and that the case be reheard by a newly constituted Hearings Committee. The GAA has stated that arrangements will be made for the new hearing to take place as early as possible.
WATERFORD (SH v Wexford):C Hennessy; E Murphy, K McGrath, D Prendergast; S O'Sullivan, T Browne, B Phelan; M Walsh, J Nagle; D Shanahan, S Prendergast, S Molumphy; E McGrath, E Kelly, J Mullane.
CLARE (SH v Cork):P Brennan, P Vaughan, F Lohan, G O'Grady; B Bugler, G Quinn, P Donnellan; B O'Connell, C Lynch; T Carmody, D McMahon, J Clancy; T Griffin, B Nugent, N Gilligan.
TYRONE (SF v Westmeath):J Devine; R McMenamin, J McMahon, PJ Quinn; D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; R Mellon, E McGinley; B Dooher, B McGuigan, T McGuigan; M Penrose, S Cavanagh, C McCullagh.
ARMAGH (SF v Fermanagh):P Hearty; A Mallon, F Bellow, F Moriarty; A Kernan, A O'Rourke, C McKeever; P McGrane, K Toner; C Vernon, B Mallon, M O'Rourke; S McDonnell, R Clarke, S Kernan.
KILDARE (SF v Limerick):E Murphy; M O'Flaherty, K O'Neill, A Mac Lochlainn; E Bolton, M Foley, M Scanlon; K Brennan, D Earley; J Kavanagh, P O'Neill, E Callaghan; A Smith, K Donnelly, J Doyle.
LAOIS (SF v Down):M Nolan; C Healy, D Rooney, J Higgins; P O'Leary, T Kelly, P McMahon; P Clancy, B Quigley; B Brennan, B McCormack, B Sheehan; C Parkinson, C Kelly, D Kingston.
DOWN (SF v Laois):B McVeigh; L Howard, M Cole, K McGuigan; A Carr, C Murney, P Murphy; D Gordon, A Rodgers; K McKernan, B Coulter, D Hughes; J Clarke, R Murtagh, J Fegan.
